The Wedding by Rachel Wilder and Shelbecat
by Rachel Wilder
Summary: One year after Reunion, everyone gathers for the biggest celebration of all...The Wedding. A sequel to The Reunion by Rachel Wilder and Shelbecat
1. Prologue

The Wedding

**The Wedding  
Prologue**

_Saturday, May 19, 2018_

Lyla leaned in close to the mirror and applied one last coat of lipstick. Nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

She ran her hands over her hair, making sure it was just right. She looked out the window again to see if Tim and Jason had arrived. There was no ramp, only a lift into the church and although he probably wouldn't say anything, she knew it would make Jason uptight. He liked to go under his own power. Lifts like this one were for old people, is how he would see it. How was it that they had picked the only church in Texas with steps?

She could hear Tyra in the next room talking to Jake. Another glance out the window caught her a glimpse of Billy arriving with an aide to sit with him. She was so glad he was able to be a part of the day.

She knew she should go find Tyra and Julie, but a big part of her just wanted to sit there for a few more minutes of quiet. So much of the rest of the day would be taken up with people and photographers and music and dancing. Now she just wanted a moment to center herself.

* * *

Tyra bent down and adjusted Jake's tie. She hadn't expected him to put on his suit without a fight, but he'd surprised her when he actually asked if they could go to the church early. Arrive early for a wedding...now there was a novel concept.

"Do you remember what you have to do?" she asked him as she wiped an imaginary smudge from his cheek.

"Mom," Jake groaned as he pulled away from her. "I have to stand by Dad and then when he's ready I give him the ring. We practiced, remember?"

Tyra smiled. Yes, they had practiced and Jake had talked about little else since he found out about the wedding months ago. She was proud of him today. And she knew Tim would be too. She stood and shooed Jake out of the room. It was getting late and she still had to get ready.

* * *

Julie fingered the picture frame sitting on her bureau and smiled sadly. It had been taken a year ago at the 10-year Reunion. Her, Matt and her parents. Beaming under the _Welcome Back Dillon Panthers_ banner that hung across the entryway. They looked so happy; like there was nothing wrong in the entire world.

But the problems were there, beneath the surface. And they'd almost ripped her and Matt apart.

It was hard for her to imagine that a whole year had passed since then. They were supposed to have been married last August. But then the treatments had started and she just didn't have the strength to plan a wedding. Her parents had been disappointed, not to mention Matt, but ultimately they had let her decide, and it was the right decision, even if it meant waiting to start her life with Matt. Her life as his wife.

She placed the frame back in place and stared at her reflection. She had to force herself to be happy on most days, but there was good reason to celebrate today and she was going to smile through the whole ceremony, no matter how heavy her heart felt.

* * *

"Matthew." The pastor walked up to Matt and pumped his hand furiously. Matt swore the man was happier than Matt himself was.

"The bride has arrived. Can I count on you not to faint on me up there today?"

Matt swallowed thickly past the lump in his throat. He nodded, unable to push even a single word past his lips.

"Well alright then, son. You go find your friends. Let's not keep those folks waiting."

Forcing one foot in front of the other, Matt made his way to the back room where the guys were waiting. He really shouldn't be nervous today, but being here in the church where he and Julie had planned to be married so many months ago...it was hard to believe that they were finally all gathered here to celebrate.

He wiped his hand across his brow and went to find Jason and Tim.

* * *

Placing one hand against the wall, Tim leaned the cane he was using against a chair and tested his leg. It held. And hopefully it would hold through the ceremony.

"You sure about this?" Jason asked. "No one expects you to be a hero, Timmy."

Tim shook his head and took two tentative steps. He knew no one would care if he used his cane, but it was important to him, and he knew it would be important to Tyra as well.

"I'm sure," he said quietly. A year ago no one would have seen this day coming, but now here they were, waiting in the back of the church Tim hadn't been in for years, and still he didn't feel out of place.

Tim caught Jason's eye and smiled. "You ready?"

Jason nodded, taking a deep breath. "You?"

The door opened and Tim looked up as Saracen stepped in, decked out in his own carbon-copy tuxedo.

"It's time," Matt said.

* * *

He looked up the aisle at the closed doors at the back of the church. Any minute they would open and he'd see her.

He looked over at his friends, so glad they were there standing up with him. His best man nodded—knowing exactly what he was thinking.

They had waited so long—longer than either of them had ever counted on and even though neither one of them could figure out why all the delays had happened, he knew it didn't matter anymore.

He loved her and she was going to be his wife for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Her father looked nervous standing at the doorway to the church. He fingered the edge of his tux and looked out over the crowd gathered to celebrate her wedding.

She reached down and touched the satin of the dress. It seemed so unreal that this day was finally here.

"You ready, honey?"

She looked over at her dad and smiled. "I am, Daddy."

"I love you baby girl. And he's a good man."

She looked down the aisle at the man she was going to marry. He was a good man. He'd been so patient and loved her for so long, no matter what. She turned and looked at her father. She loved him and felt so safe with him by her side.

Married. She was getting married.

_/tbc/_

* * *

**Disclaimer**: All characters who appear in these stories belong to their respective creators, including Imagine Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Studio and Film 44.  
**Authors's Note**: Thanks to our beta **devilc** for joining us once again. We hope you enjoy the continuation of the _Reunion_-verse.


	2. Chapter 1

The Wedding

**The Wedding  
Chapter 1**

_Friday, May 18, 2018_

Tim watched Tyra make her way from the bar to their table, balancing three drinks as she walked. It had been a long day. He'd been up late with Billy the night before, then picked Tyra and Jake up from the airport early this morning before enduring a full day of trying on tuxes, running errands for the wedding, and rehearsing for tomorrow's ceremony. He was looking forward to just relaxing tonight, albeit in the company of 30 friends, before the hectic schedule resumed tomorrow.

"Here you go. Two Cokes on the rocks." Tyra grinned as she passed Jake and Tim their drinks.

Jake immediately clanged his glass off of Tim's, splashing both drinks onto the tablecloth. "Cheers!" he cried before grabbing the straw in his mouth.

Tim laughed and shook his head as Tyra tsked and reached for a napkin. It had been too long since they'd spent quality time together as a family. Tyra had been out on the road with Landry's band for a couple of weeks, and then Tim had come down to Dillon a week before the wedding to spend time with Jason and Billy.

Tyra took a seat next to him and Tim shifted. His leg felt tight, probably swollen, but the pain was minimal. It was still strange to not have pain with every movement—he'd gotten so used to it over the years that its absence was more noticeable than the pain itself. He moved his cane to the side, letting it slide under the table. Another week or so and he wouldn't need it any longer. Sometimes he wasn't sure he'd be able to go it without the cane as a crutch. Without his injury to remind him of his past.

_Tyra curled against Tim's bare chest, her hair sticking to the sheen of sweat coating his skin. In all the years they'd been apart, they hadn't lost their desire for mind-blowing sex. It had only taken one night together to rediscover the passion they had for each other. And it was a great fringe benefit to driving up to Nashville every month to spend time with Jake._

_Her fingers ran across his stomach, circling around his navel. Shifting, she half rose up and kissed his chest, her hand running along his ribs and down beneath the sheet covering his legs._

_Tim was surprised; he didn't think she'd want to go again so soon. But instead she moved the sheet aside, revealing the mass of scars that made up his left leg. He reached for the sheet and tugged it back across his body. He didn't display his scars. He never wore shorts, hadn't gone swimming. Even in the sweltering heat of summer, when he'd opened the pool after Billy's incessant begging, he just sat by the edge and kept an eye on Billy swimming. He'd jump in fully clothed if he had to._

_"No," she said quietly, pulling the sheet back again. She turned and looked at his leg; back to where the scar started on his thigh, puckered across the middle of his knee, and wound its way down his lower leg. "I want to see it."_

_He tried again to pull her away. "Why?"_

_Seemingly entranced, Tyra removed her hand from his knee, kissed the tips of her fingers, and placed her hand back on his leg. She was so gentle, her ministrations reawakening the fire within him. He reached for her arm, tugging her gently away from his old injury._

_She kept her hand on his leg, drawing her fingers over the edges of his scars where healthy skin still lived. There was no feeling in the scars, but the skin next to it tickled and he squirmed._

_"I want to see it," she said, turning so her clear eyes stared straight into his. "I want to understand."_

_He jerked his leg away quickly, yanking the sheet across his body. She sat back and stared at him, her eyes questioning. Tim looked away. He wasn't sure why he'd done that, but this felt wrong. She was too close, too personal. He didn't want her to see the damaged part of him. He didn't want her to understand because he didn't want her to know how hard it had been...how hard it still was._

_"Hey," she said softly, crawling up his chest. She rested her chin on his torso, staring into his eyes. "Does it hurt a lot?"_

_He shrugged. Yes, every day._

_"Have you ever thought about getting it fixed?"_

_Now Tim was irritated. He pushed her off of him, sitting up on the edge of the bed. "It is fixed," he said._

_Tyra drew her body in behind him, her hand reaching around to rest on his heart. "I know they tried, but if it hurts..."_

_"Drop it, okay? They saved the leg, that's pretty damn good if you ask me."_

_Tim stood up and reached for his jeans which had been thoughtlessly thrown to the floor the night before. He pushed his injured left leg through first, hesitating before shifting all his weight onto that leg to finish getting dressed. His leg held out, thankfully, but he was pushing it. One twist in the wrong direction and his knee would burn. He was used to it, but it still bothered him. No one wanted to be a gimp. He'd never asked for it. And having her talk about it was just unwanted attention on something he tried really hard to ignore._

_"You know," Tyra said softly from behind him. "Landry knows someone at St. David's down in Austin. A darned good orthopedic surgeon. I bet he'd see you as a favor."_

_Tim gritted his teeth and stared at the door. He didn't want to do this. Not with her._

_"I think he might be able to help you." Tyra stood and walked over to him. She stood in front of him, waiting until he met her eyes. Reaching up, she placed her arms around his shoulders._

_"Maybe you could just see him? For me?"_

_Tim closed his eyes and leaned down to meet her forehead with his. Surgery was the last thing he wanted. He just wanted to be done with his knee—to not think about it and why it was the way it was. And he didn't want to be taking any favors from Landry Clarke._

_"You don't have to Tim, it's your choice. But it could make a big difference. And then maybe..."_

_His eyes opened and he pulled back. "Maybe what?"_

_She shrugged. "Maybe you could play with Jake more? Teach him some things?" She smiled up at him._

_Jake. Jake who loved football and wanted nothing more than to learn how to play from his father. That was a cheap shot. Using Jake to force him to have surgery?_

_Her smile faded a little and she bowed her head. "But I do think it could really help you. And that's the real reason, honest."_

_"I know," Tim responded. And he did, but he just wasn't sure if he could do it—for her or for Jake.  
_  
Beneath the table Tyra slid her hand along Tim's leg, squeezing his thigh suggestively. He grinned and glanced at Jake. Their son was completely absorbed in his drink, blowing bubbles in the bottom of his glass. Leaning over towards her, he kissed her gently, saving the passion for later when they could finally be alone.

"So you just want to elope when it's our turn?" Tyra asked, her smile reaching all the way up to her eyes.

Tim avoided the question and stared down at his drink. Tyra wasn't pushing him; he knew getting married someday was important to her, and they would. As soon as he could properly get down on one knee, he was going to ask her to be his wife.

* * *

Eric pulled his suit jacket on over his shirt. When they'd first heard about the wedding plans, he'd foolishly thought it was a one-day affair. What experience did he have on the subject?

But then his eyes had been opened to the 'guests from out of town' brunch, the tour of Dillon (definitely one element of the itinerary he could safely skip—after all, they had lived there once), and tonight the rehearsal dinner. He was running out of suit jackets.

"How long is this thing supposed to last tonight?" he called to Tami.

His wife exited the washroom with a necklace in her hand, reaching behind her neck to fasten it.

"I don't know, babe. But we can slip away if we get tired. Lord knows there'll be enough people there. They won't even notice us."

Eric smiled as Tami stopped and examined the necklace clasp before trying to fasten it again. He stepped towards her and pushed her hair away from her neck.

"Here, let me."

Soft tendrils of hair rubbed against his fingers as he worked the clasp shut. The familiar scent of her perfume drifted towards him and he inhaled deeply, bending down to kiss her lightly on her neck.

"There." He turned her around be the shoulders, resting his hands there as he stared at her face. "Perfect."

She smiled, her head tipping to one side as her eyes raked over his face. He knew what she was thinking. He could see the concern in her eyes.

"We should get going," Tami said, turning away from him abruptly.

Reluctantly he released her, letting his hand trail down her back as she moved away. They were fortunate to be here tonight. Lucky to have such a beautiful daughter to celebrate this weekend with. But still, Tami carried a permanent look of worry on her face.

Placing his hand on the small of her back, he ushered her through the door of their hotel room and turned to close it behind them. He hoped she would have fun tonight; she deserved to have fun, they both did. And he already planned to fake a headache as soon as the dessert plates were cleared. Maybe they could celebrate on their own, later.

* * *

Julie walked into the reception room and looked around at everyone gathered there. Tyra and Tim were sitting together, with Jake. She was so happy that they had figured things out. Julie had remained friends with Tyra over the years, but it was surprising to even her to now hang out socially with one of the Riggins boys. It seemed like Tim had always thought of her as 'Coach's kid' instead of a classmate. Same for Jason Street. He was nice to her, but she wasn't really friends with him or Lyla.

But so much had changed in the last year and being here with all of these people seemed like the absolute right thing.

She looked down at the ring Matt had given her and smiled. Things might be very different than they had been a year ago, but there was one thing she knew and trusted—she and Matt loved each other and would spend the rest of their lives together.

_She heard Matt open the door to the house._

_"Julie?" he called out as he walked in. He set the bags down on the kitchen counter and headed down the hallway toward their bedroom. "Honey?"_

_He paused at the door to their bedroom. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, the room cast in the growing darkness of the evening. She couldn't call out to him...couldn't say the words just yet._

_"What's the matter?" he asked as he walked into the room and sat down next to her on the bed. "Did you see the doctor today? Did I forget an appointment?"_

_Julie shook her head. "No..."_

_"What's going on?" he asked._

_"My mom called...and...it's bad, Matt. It's bad."_

_Matt stood there for a moment, then sat down next to her on the bed. "It's going to be okay. It will. Know that, Julie. Know that."_

"Julie."

She looked up to see her parents standing in front of her. "What...what are you doing here?"

"Good to see you too, honey," her dad said as he leaned in and kissed her.

"But, I didn't think..." Julie started.

"Your dad wanted to come. There was no way he was missing any part of the big celebration, no matter what," her mom whispered in her daughter's ear as they hugged. Straightening up, Tami smiled and placed a hand on Eric's arm. "We wouldn't miss this for the world, would we, honey? Well, except for that tour—is it true that they hired a bus?

Julie hugged her mom and dad, holding him tight for one moment longer than normal. She laughed. "Yeah, they even asked Matt to give the tour. But he managed to beg off."

"Smart man, that Saracen," her dad said, smiling. She loved that way his eyes crinkled up in the corners. She'd never grow tired of that smile. She'd be happy to have a weekend where things felt like they used to, even if it was just for a couple of days.

* * *

"I told him three times that I wanted it to be Lyla and Jason Street when he pronounces us. If he turns around and says Mr. and Mrs. Jason Street, I'm going to just walk straight out of there."

Jason started to laugh. "You won't even stop and kiss me?" he asked.

"Don't tease, Jason. I'm serious about this."

"I know, honey. Serious as a heart attack," Jason replied.

"Not funny," she retorted as she pulled the door open to the restaurant. "The pastor is actually getting paid to marry us. The least he can do is say my name right."

"Lyla Street. Is that right?"

"Jason..." she protested, turning to look at him as they both moved inside the restaurant.

"Lyla Street." Now he was just teasing her. "Mrs. Lyla Street."

Jason grinned and she felt her irritation fade. When he reached up to pull her down on his lap and kiss her, she couldn't stay mad any longer.

"It's just such a big day. And there's still so much to do," she said when they finally broke apart.

"I have faith that you will order people around with great authority until everything is accomplished."

Lyla set her mouth firmly. "Do not manage me, Jason."

"Never, Mrs. Street."

Her mouth quivered, almost smiling. "I'm serious! I want everything to be perfect and you, with that voice...it's not helping."

"It will be perfect," he said. "Mrs. Jason Street."

"Jason!"

Laughing, he gave her one more kiss and pushed her back off his lap so she could walk ahead of him into the restaurant. She knew she was making a big deal out of a small detail, but that was what made a wedding perfect—all the little details falling into place. She wanted the wedding of her dreams; she'd been thinking about it since she was a little girl.

And tomorrow it would finally happen for them. Complete with her father walking her down the aisle.

_Lyla paused outside the hospital room. A nurse walked out of the room._

_"Is anyone in there with him?" she asked._

_"No, he was sleeping, but he's awake now, dear," the nurse answered._

_Lyla inhaled deeply and tried to stop her heart from pounding. Even after all the months Jason was in the hospital, she never got used to the feeling of these places—all the sick people. But she was here now and she needed to just get in there and do it._

"It's our rehearsal dinner, Lyla. People are here to honor us," Jason said.

She knew he was just trying to placate her but she wasn't ready to calm down yet.

"My mom still hasn't forgiven me," Lyla answered. "You know that's why she skipped the church rehearsal. And she's going to be in there with that look on her face. I can't handle that look tonight."

"Your mom understands. And she's sitting with my parents. She's fine, Lyla. Those are our loved ones in there."  
_  
"Lyla."_

_The voice sounded so weak and unlike her dad. She'd never seen him sick before. He looked smaller somehow, lying there in the bed._

_"Hi, Daddy," she said as she crossed the room and pulled a chair up next to his bed._

_The call had caught her off guard. It hadn't been his wife, Brittany, instead the call had come from the junior sales manager at Garrity Motors. His voice was hesitant as he told Lyla about her father's collapse at the dealership, the trip to the hospital and the three times the ambulance had pulled over as the massive heart attack stopped her father's heart again and again. And then finally that they had airlifted him to the hospital in Dallas for bypass surgery._

_"Sorry it took me so long to get here. There was traffic horrible coming up from Austin and..." Lyla tripped over the words as they came more quickly out of her mouth._

_"It's okay," Buddy answered. "You came. Thank you."_

_Yes, she had come. And she was the only one. That woman he had married was nowhere to be seen. As it turned out, Brittany didn't do sick. And there wasn't anyone else. Her parents' divorce hadn't brought them any closer and now that they were all grown up and out of the house, Lyla wasn't sure of the last time her parents had even spoken other than a tense exchange at Tabby's wedding the year before. No, it was up to her to handle it this time._

_She would do this for him. Help him through this; once again putting her life on hold for the man in her life. It was a sacrifice, but she wasn't looking for praise. She was there because much like she had learned with Jason, sometimes you needed to forgive people for the things that happened in the past because you love them and because no one is perfect. And she had to be honest with herself—she never would have forgiven herself if her dad had died and she was still not speaking to him._

"Jason. Lyla. We're all in here."

"Thanks, Daddy," Lyla said as they approached her father. "It looks beautiful." And it did. She wanted to let all of the anxiety go, but it was hard. She and Jason had talked about their dream wedding—about a nice spot in a park with their close friends and family around them. But somehow that vision had gotten turned all sideways. It would be so easy to blame Buddy, but deep down she knew it was only because he loved her and wanted to give her the best wedding he could afford. It was his way of saying thank you for the past few months.

But there was also a part of her that was afraid that it was the latest PR campaign for Garrity Motors—something to show everyone that Buddy Garrity was back and not to be messed with.

Lyla sighed and smiled politely at the table of salesmen Buddy had seated next to him. Strength in numbers. If her mom was here, and Lyla was going to be severely pissed if she had skipped the dinner too, her dad would need as many friends as possible to shield himself from the icy stares.

She turned to Jason and rubbed her temples. God bless her soon-to-be husband, because he thanked the table of strangers for coming and then steered her away from the table.

"Deep breaths," Jason said beside her. "Loved ones, remember?"

Loved ones. Right. Instead of 75 people at an outdoor wedding and picnic she was now dealing with 300 people in a church that she had never even worshiped at. A church that had a gorgeous set of steps up the front that her groom couldn't climb. She wasn't sure if her dad had even considered what it was going to be like when she and Jason came out of the church and she had to wait while Jason hurried around back and used the lift.

When she'd found out, she'd told Jason that they would just change the location, but her dad had seen to every detail—the invitations had not only been printed, they had also been sent.

Things had gotten totally out of control. Lyla wasn't sure she recognized her own wedding any longer. She was halfway tempted to get in a car with Jason and just disappear. She didn't want to fight with the minister. She didn't want to mediate between her parents. She didn't want to fake a smile like she had for all of those months after Jason's accident when she kept pretending things were going to be okay.

When she closed her eyes and remembered that this wedding was just the beginning of the rest of her life with Jason, she could breathe again. She loved Jason and he loved her. And all she wanted was to be his wife. The rest of it could just go away. Right now.  
_  
/tbc/_


	3. Chapter 2

The Wedding

**The Wedding  
Chapter 2**

Tami looked across the room filled with old friends and acquaintances from Dillon. Sprinkled in were a few of Jason and Lyla's relatives and friends from after high school. It was so nice to see so many people here in support of the young couple.

"I'm still not sure why we're here tonight," Eric muttered as he leaned in toward her. "It's our daughter and Matt who are actually in the wedding."

"You know you're like a second father to Jason," Tami replied. "Be grateful. It's a free meal that we don't have to eat at Applebee's."

"True," her husband replied. He reached over and took her hand.

_Tami looked down at Eric's hand wrapped around hers._

_"I wish I had better news for you folks."_

_She looked up at the doctor, a look of confusion crossing her face._

_"So, now, Dr. Hennings—can y'all just say that again?" she asked, this time reaching in her purse for some paper and a pen._

_The doctor looked down at the records in front of him on his desk. "As I was saying, Mrs. Taylor, your husband presented with a fever, complaints of fatigue, a loss of appetite and bruising on his arms. We ran a number of tests and the blood work showed a number of things that concerned me. We did a bone marrow tap and were able to conclusively diagnose acute myelogenous leukemia."_

_Eric's hand tightened around hers._

_"I'm going to recommend that we start with three rounds of chemotherapy…"_

_"I'm supposed to be starting training camp in three weeks," Eric interrupted._

_"I can't recommend that, Coach," the doctor replied._

_"No, I have to be there for camp in three weeks," Eric stated again._

_Tami gripped his hand tighter, stilling him. She could fight him on this, but she knew from the over twenty years they'd been together that he'd need her as an ally more now than ever before. She'd see him through his treatments, and try like hell to make sure he still coached. He'd never survive if he lost football too._

"So, Joanne and I would like to thank all of you for joining us tonight."

Tami looked back up as Jason's dad began to speak at the microphone in the corner of the room.

"I know that many of you have traveled a long way to be here to celebrate Jason and Lyla's big day with us. On behalf of Pam and Buddy and my wife, we're just so delighted you could be here and we know how much you all mean to our kids."

Everyone clapped with a cheer or two coming from Jason's teammates.

"Okay, I know they were kids the first time they tried to do this whole getting married thing, but of all the things that Jason has taught me over his life, having faith that things will work out, no matter what, is the most important one.

"That and don't leave a laptop sitting on a coffee table with the power cable at a toddler's height," Mitch added as everyone laughed again. "Jason may have ended up very agile on the field and court, but he staggered like a drunken sailor those first few years."

Tami watched as Jason blushed and Tim Riggins gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Buddy tells me that he's reserved a few tee times out at the club tomorrow morning, so see him if you need another event on your itinerary. Otherwise, please enjoy your dessert and we'll see you tomorrow at the church."

"Hey, Coach…Mrs. Taylor."

Tami looked over and smiled as Jason approached the table. "Oh, Jason…it's just so good to see you, to be here. Thanks so much for including us."

"Wouldn't have done it any other way," Jason replied. "Couldn't have. Thanks for coming down here."

"Things going well for you in Austin? Sounded like y'all had a good season," Eric replied.

"Yeah, it was. I'm not playing as much anymore," Jason answered. "There are younger guys now and I had a lot on my plate this year with Lyla moving in, the wedding and stuff. How's North Texas looking for the fall?"

"Good," Eric replied. "I'm uh…they offered me assistant athletic director. I'm considering moving up to the administrative office."

Underneath the table, Tami slid her hand into her husband's. I love you, she signaled as she tightened her fingers slightly while he continued to explain to Jason why he was leaving coaching.

* * *

"Honey, you look beautiful tonight."

Lyla smiled tensely at her mother. She was trying to be civil, she really was, but when she'd arrived at the church rehearsal earlier to find her mother not there, she couldn't hide her disappointment. She hadn't wanted to be one of those bridezillas—upset with people and crying in the dressing room the day before her wedding.

She took a deep breath and vowed to be calm and give Pam a chance to explain.

"We missed you earlier. At the church."

"Oh I know," Pam said, twisting her napkin in her hands. "Tabby needed me to watch the baby. How could I say no?"

Lyla's eyes narrowed. "Is that the story you're going with?"

Pam looked taken aback.

"Mom, I know you skipped the rehearsal because you didn't want to see Dad. Just admit it."

"That's not it, Lyla. I'm here tonight, aren't I?"

"Please don't lie to me," Lyla said, bowing her head. Her mother had been disappointed in her when she'd accepted Buddy back into her life. But Lyla had never expected her own mother to hold it against her—especially on her wedding day!

"Lyla, Tabby needs me right now. You knew she would have a newborn when you asked her to be your matron-of-honor. I don't expect you to understand what it's like to have a young child."

Lyla shook her head. That was a low blow if she'd ever heard one and frankly, a cheap one. If it had really been a question of taking care of the baby, her mom could have come to the rehearsal and just taken Sarah, her three-month-old niece, out of the church if she fussed. Instead, Pam was using Sarah as a convenient excuse and one that hurt Lyla like salt in her wounds. Her mom knew it wasn't going to be easy for Lyla and Jason to have a family and when Tabby had announced that she was pregnant a year ago, then married her boyfriend the very next month, Lyla felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Like it would never happen for her; even though she had an engagement ring on her finger. She had gone to the little reception her mom had thrown for her sister after their elopement, and she and Jason had gone to the church to take their places as godparents to her niece, but to be honest, it killed her a little inside and she had told her mom that. For her to use the baby against her, on this of all weekends, was just unbelievable.

_"Hey, Jake," she said as she walked into the kitchen of her and Jason's new house. "Where are your mom and dad, and Jason?"_

_"Umm, I think Mom went shopping, and Dad and Jason are playing pool in the den. I'm getting snacks."_

_Lyla rolled her eyes. This was supposed to be a weekend for the five of them to hang out and spend some time together. Instead she had gotten called in to work on a Saturday, and now it was 5:30 and Tim and Jason were feeding the child chips instead of thinking about dinner. Some days she really felt like she and Tyra were responsible adults taking care of two grown children._

_"Listen, Jake." Lyla bent down and removed the bag of potato chips from his hand. "How about I call your Mom and ask her to pick up some real food for dinner?"_

_"Like what?" Jake asked._

_"Like…your dad's favorite food from back in high school. Do you know what that was?"_

_Jake shook his head, his eyes wide and wondering._

_Lyla placed the chips on the counter and then leaned on her forearms and looked down at Jake. "When your dad was in high school, he loved pizza. I mean really loved pizza. But he also loved football. And Jason was the quarterback on your dad's team. So every year, in August, Jason would make your dad give up pizza for the whole football season."_

_"But pizza is so good!"_

_"I know!" Lyla laughed. "Pizza is yummy, yummy, yummy…and also fatty, fatty, fatty. Jason wanted to make sure your dad was in really great shape to play football, so every year your dad would stop eating pizza from August to November."_

_"That's a long time not to eat pizza."_

_Lyla nodded. "It really is. But then, as soon as the season was over, they would get two big pizzas and eat one each! Can you imagine that?"_

_"I bet I could eat a whole pizza too," Jake said._

_"I bet you could too!" Lyla reached for a pizza menu that was stuck on the fridge and handed it to Jake. "How about you pick out one pizza that you like, and then I'll order another one that I know your dad and Jason like. Sound good?"_

_"What are you and Mom going to eat?"_

_"Well…do you think we could have a piece of your pizza?"_

_Jake thought about it for a while. "Maybe if you buy garlic fingers too."_

_Lyla bit her lip and tried not to laugh. "You got it, kiddo."_

"I overheard Jonathon ask Tabby what time his mom should pick Sarah up from your house. She has two sets of grandparents, mother. I know Jonathan's mom was only picking her up late because you asked her to," Lyla hissed at her mom, her hands clenched together.

Pam twisted her napkin and chewed her bottom lip.

"You think I know nothing about families and commitments because I don't have kids?" Lyla felt tears stinging her eyes. She did not want to cry here. And she certainly didn't want to walk into the other room with a red blotchy face in front of her closest family and friends. "I love Sarah. And I will know what it's like to have kids one day. But this is not about kids. I made a commitment to Dad when he got sick. I don't think you should hate me for it."

"I don't hate you, honey." Pam's voice was strained. Lyla knew she had struck a nerve, but she was beyond caring. This weekend was important to her and she needed her mother to support her. She expected her mother to be there.

"I would really appreciate it if you could put your differences aside for one day. One day, Mom, that's all I'm asking. Then you can slap him in the face on Sunday afternoon as soon as everyone leaves, okay?"

Lyla stood and walked away from her mother, leaving Pam with her mouth gaping open. She'd been too harsh, she knew it, but the strain of having to choose one parent over the other, again, was too much. She was an adult now and if her parents couldn't accept that she wanted a relationship with both of them that was just going to have to be their problem. Lyla was done caring about it.

* * *

Matt pulled his car up to the airport arrivals curb and slipped it into park. He hoped he didn't have to wait too long for Landry's plane to arrive. Julie was still back at the dinner and he knew that she'd want them to have at least a little time with her parents before it got too late. He looked down at his watch and sighed.

_"Matt Saracen…good to see you finally learned how to dial a phone. It's been almost a month, man. Have you decided on music for the reception? I'm telling you, for this wedding I can get the whole band down there. I mean, I'm not offering to do that for Tim Riggins or any other guy, just my buddy Matt."_

_Matt took a deep breath and tried again to interrupt Landry's stream of consciousness. "Landry—just, just stop for a minute."_

_"What's the matter?" Landry said quietly, the tease suddenly gone from his voice._

_"It's the wedding. We're postponing it," Matt said._

_"You're what? Is this—is this about what was going on with you and Julie at the reunion? That's bull, man."_

_"Yeah…" Matt's voice trailed off. "No, no, it isn't. Things with me and Julie are good, actually. You just—you can't say anything about this, okay?"_

_"What's going on, Matt?" Landry asked again._

_"It's Julie's dad. He's in the hospital and they don't want people to know 'cause of the football season and stuff, but he's really sick, Landry."_

_Matt understood why Eric wanted to keep things quiet, but he also couldn't see where this secret was helping anybody. He needed the other teachers at Julie's school to understand why she was having such a hard time keeping her morning kindergarten class straight from her afternoon kids. He needed his new head coach to understand why his mind drifted now and then. He needed the ladies at church on the prayer chain to be focusing all of their energy on helping to find a miracle for the coach._

_"You need me to come down there?" Landry asked._

_"Nah, we're okay. Julie's been going up to Dallas as much as she can, but school starts next week. I just wanted to let you know. We thought we might be able to just go ahead with the wedding, but Eric's back in the hospital and it's not going to work."_

_"So you're using this old fight as a cover story?"_

_"Sort of," Matt answered. "Just hopin' nobody asks, to be honest."_

_"Yeah, in Dillon, nobody's going to ask. Dream on, Saracen."_

"Well, isn't this a nice turn of events?"

Matt's head snapped up as Landry opened the back door and tossed in his suitcase and guitar.

"Just takes me right back to all those days of driving you to practice," he said as he slid into the car next to Matt.

"I know—I'll owe you forever," Matt intoned as he'd said every single time he'd picked Landry Clarke up at the airport over the past couple of years. "What'd you do before I moved back here? Don't your parents know where the airport is?"

"You drag me back here twice in the same month, I definitely think you owe me," Landry replied.

Matt slipped the car into gear and headed back toward the restaurant. "I know—I'll owe you the rest of my life."

* * *

Jason smiled at Lyla as she wiped a tear from her cheek. She leaned into him and rested her cheek against his hair, her back snugly against his arm as she sat on his lap.

"This is so awful, Jason. Why does she have to act like this now? Today?"

"She's just hurting. Give her some time."

"I've given her time. Dad's heart attack was in July. She knows I talk to him all the time!"

Jason sighed and snaked his arm around so he could rub Lyla's lower back. She was upset, and rightfully so. If he didn't have to worry about making a scene in front of half their wedding guests, he'd tell Pam exactly what he thought of her selfish behavior.

He looked up at Lyla and reached for her hand. "You know, I think your mom would really come around if you tried spending some time alone with her. Just the two of you. Or even invite Tabby."

Lyla did not look like she agreed.

Jason tried another tactic. He was pushing, he knew it, but he also knew that Pam loved Lyla and really only wanted her to be happy; she just had to get past her dislike of Buddy to let herself enjoy the wedding as well.

"I bought a bottle of that Chilean red you like. And left it at your mom's."

Lyla pouted. "What is Mom going to drink?"

Jason laughed and tipped his head up so he was looking straight into her eyes. "Well, I was going to leave two bottles, but we do have a big day tomorrow. You think you can share?"

She stared into his eyes. "I love you an awful lot."

"How could you not?"

Lyla kissed him slowly, her hand lingering on the back of his neck.

"Okay, so I guess I go make peace and you go off to spend your last night as a single guy. What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Well, Riggs had some strippers lined up, but…"

"Jason!" Lyla punched him lightly on the arm as she stood up.

Jason laughed. "I'm going to talk with Tim for a bit, then I'm going to my parents. We've got the hotel room, but I think they'd like it if I stayed over there."

"I'm sure they would." Lyla kissed Jason again. "The next time I see you I'll almost be Mrs. Street."

"Mrs. Jason Street?"

"Don't push it."

Laughing as Lyla walked away from him, Jason looked around the restaurant to find Tim. He found his best man standing near Coach Taylor and Tami, Tim leaning heavily on his cane. It was hard to see Tim in more physical pain than normal, but Jason was real happy he'd gone through with it. It was a decision for his future—for his future with Jake and Tyra. And Jason was proud.

_Jason looked up to find Tim standing at his office door._

_"Timmy?" he asked as he gestured for Tim to come in and take a seat. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you here. What are you doing in Austin?"_

_Tim lowered himself gingerly into the chair and stretched out his bad leg. He looked around the office._

_"Nice digs, Street," he drawled._

_"You come for the tour?" Jason asked. "I wasn't expecting to see you for a few weeks, until the bachelor party."_

_Tim laughed and shook his head. "Nah, I was up at the hospital—went to see an orthopedic surgeon."_

_"Seriously?" Jason asked, leaning forward on his desk. Wow, Tim could hardly have shocked him more._

_"Yeah."_

_Typically forthcoming, Jason thought. "And?"_

_"He uh…" Tim started, then stopped, his hand rubbing over his injured leg. "He said he could probably help things out with a knee replacement."_

_Wow. He had wondered if Tim would ever consider trying more surgery to repair his leg, but Tim had never brought it up. In many ways, Jason had assumed that Tim had decided to carry the pain and limp as his burden for what had happened to Billy._

_"What…what brings this up?" Jason asked._

_"Tyra asked me to go see him. He's some big fan of Landry's. She got me in quick or something. His name is Jorgensen."_

_"Yeah, I've heard of him. He did some work for a guy on the rugby team who wrecked his shoulder. He's great, Tim. I'm sure he'd do a good job."_

_Tim looked up at Jason. "Thing is, Six—he can do it this week or it's gonna be a couple of months from now. He's going out of the country—some kind of Doctors without Borders thing or something."_

_Jason nodded. He knew what Tim was trying to say. "Go for it, Tim. Do it."_

_Tim looked down, closely examining his hands. He stopped and looked up at Jason. "I don't want it to mess up the wedding, but I want to be out on the field with Jake this fall—to be a real coach for Pee Wees this time. I mean, the doc said it wouldn't be fixed like new or anything. I won't be able to run a marathon or play ball myself, but to be able to get out there with Jake and show him stuff…"_

_"Do it, Tim. Do it for yourself, for Tyra, for Jake, but just do it."_

_The wedding was six weeks away. Jason knew it would take Tim that long at least to recover, but he didn't care if his best friend sat beside him in a wheelchair at the altar. If Tim was finally willing to let the pain of the accident go and do something good for himself, then Jason was going to support him._

_Tim ran his hand up through his hair. "I'm just trying to figure everything out. Tyra's heading out on the road with Landry for three weeks. I was going to look after Jake on my own…it's not the surgery I'm scared of, but gettin' over it."_

_Jason looked at his friend. "Come to our house. Bring Jake. It's totally set up—everything on one floor, grab bars, the shower. You'll appreciate having one of those toilets that's a little taller, my friend. Come stay with us."_

_Tim shook his head. "Nah, that's not going to…"_

_"Come stay with us," Jason repeated. "I won't take no for an answer."_

Tim looked up as Jason moved across the restaurant. He excused himself and limped slowly to meet Jason.

"So," Jason said. "You ready to begin your best man duties?"

Tim smiled that same slow smile he'd perfected. "Begin? I seem to recall hauling your drunk ass into bed at a certain party a few nights ago. If that's not the stuff of a best man right there…"

Jason laughed and nodded. Tim had been there for him all week, exactly the way Jason had pictured his last week as a single guy. Not that he was dreading tomorrow, but there was something about getting up there in front of all of those people that was making him nervous. Tim had helped to distract him and they'd had a hell of a good time in the process.

"Listen, I want you to do me a favor," Jason said.

"Sure, Six. Anything."

"Can you run by Lyla's place tomorrow morning early? I want to give her a wedding gift."

"Aren't you supposed to be getting gifts at this shindig?"

Jason shook his head and smiled. "Yeah, but it's traditional for the bride and groom to exchange gifts too. Only we aren't supposed to see each other either. And you know how Lyla is stuck on tradition."

Tim shrugged. "Sure, where is it?"

"At my hotel. Think you could give me a ride?"

"Let me grab Tyra and Jake."

* * *

"I think we're going to go, honey," Eric Taylor said as he returned to the table he had shared with his wife and daughter.

"Matt'll be back any time now," Julie replied. "Can you come over for a little bit?"

"We should probably get to bed," her mom answered. "It's going to be a big day tomorrow."

"We, uh…we got the pictures back," Julie volunteered.

Tami and Eric exchanged a glance. "Well, maybe just for a little bit, honey," her mom replied.

"I brought one with me," Julie offered as she reached into her purse.

She handed it to her dad who held it out so her mom could see as well.

"Amazing," her dad replied.

She nodded. That was the only word for it.

* * *

Tim left the gift Jason had given him in his hotel room and walked back down to his car. It was getting late, but he hadn't seen Billy yet today, and he'd promised he'd stop by.

Driving along the familiar streets, Tim didn't realize he was driving without thinking about where he was going until he turned onto the street he'd grown up on. Their old house was someone else's now. Sold a few months back, it was a small retirement home for an elderly couple who had moved into town from their ranch. Tim laughed when he thought about the wild parties he and Billy used to throw there. The poor old folks didn't have a clue how many drunk teenagers had once passed out in their master bedroom.

Forcing himself to continue past the house, Tim thought about the decision to sell. His decision. It had been hard to convince Walt to sign it over to him all those years ago, but at least it left the decision solely in his hands when it came time to move on.

And Billy had been so great about it. Hell, it had practically been Billy's idea.

_"So Billy, I'm going up to Nashville next weekend for Jake's birthday and then I'm going to stay over until Thanksgiving. You wanna come? Hang out with Jake for a week?"_

_Billy was reclined in his favorite chair, some monster truck rally capturing all of his attention._

_"Mrs. Anderson said she'd come stay with you if you didn't want to come. It'll only be for 6 days. I'll be back late Friday night."_

_A handful of chips found its way to Billy's mouth but he gave no indication that he was listening, or cared at all if Tim left him alone for a week._

_Tim sighed and pushed his hand deep into his hair. He'd been making the trip to Nashville as often as he could, at least once a month, but between work and Billy, he was only able to get away for a three-day weekend every time. By the time you factored in driving, he had about 48 hours to spend with Jake and Tyra. You couldn't build a relationship with your child and your girlfriend in a couple of days a month. That's why he was taking Tyra up on her offer to come stay for a whole week, and bring Billy along._

_"Billy…Billy!" Tim raised his voice to get Billy's attention. Finally, his brother's eyes turned from the television and focused on Tim's. "Did you hear what I said? I'm going to Nashville for a week…"_

_"How come you don't live with Jake? Like Dad used to live with us."_

_Tim stared at Billy, who went back to watching his show. He didn't seem to care one way or the other what Tim's response was._

_"I…uh…" Tim started._

_"Laura said I could live with her and Maureen at their house. You should buy me a new chair though because this one smells."_

_Walking over to the couch, Tim sat down slowly and reached out for the remote. He hit mute, Billy wouldn't stand for turning the show completely off, and waited to gain his brother's attention again._

_It only took a few seconds and when Billy turned his head, Tim swore he was looking into the eyes of Billy from 10 years ago. They were clear, lucid, like he knew exactly what he was asking for._

_"I used to take care of you, right? Before?"_

_Tim managed a shaky nod._

_"And now you take care of me. But I'm old, Tim. I'm older than you."_

_"It's okay, Billy. I don't mind." Tim smiled sadly at his older brother. It had been a long time since he thought of Billy as being older than him._

_"I don't want you to take care of me anymore. You should go take care of Jake instead. And Tyra, she's hot."_

_Billy laughed at himself and reached out to take the remote from Tim. "I'll live here and you'll live there and you can bring Jake down to visit me for Christmas. Okay?" He didn't wait for Tim's response, just turned the volume back on the television and settled back in his chair._

_Tim stayed on the couch for a long time. Staring._

Tim parked his truck in front of the group home. It wasn't the same place Laura lived, but it seemed nice enough. And Billy seemed happy. He had a job bagging groceries at the local Winn-Dixie and Mrs. Anderson was employed as his aide. All-in-all Billy had it pretty good here.

It was hard for Tim to let go of his guilt over the accident. The surgery was a step in the right direction, and Billy's moving out to let Tim relocate to Nashville…it was like Billy was taking back the older brother role, sacrificing for his little brother.

Tim was barely in the entry before Billy saw him and called out. He grinned as he walked across the room. Seeing Billy here, happy and active and not just lying around in front of the television was an amazing feeling.

"Hey Billy, what's up?"

"You are," Billy said, staring up at Tim from his position on the couch. Then Billy laughed and rolled back into the cushions. "Get it?"

Tim laughed and eased down beside Billy. "Yeah, I get it." He looked around at the empty room. "Where's everyone else?"

"Sleeping. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Tim asked.

"Yeah." Billy nodded seriously. "I'm getting married."

Tim smiled and placed a hand on Billy's knee. "No, remember I told you? Jason and Lyla are getting married. You're going to a wedding."

"I know that. But then afterwards I'm getting married. To Laura."

Tim's eyes widened.

Billy nodded. "Yep. But only pretend. I don't want to live with her and take out the garbage for her. That's what you have to do when you get married. But I'm going to live here and when she comes over we'll be married. Then she'll go home so I can watch TV."

Tim smiled sadly. A part of him thought that maybe Billy could get married some day. Get an aide to live with him, take care of two people instead of just one. But then, he was probably happier in a home with more people. And whatever made Billy happy was what Tim would support.

"Well I'm real happy for you. Can we come to the wedding?"

"Yeah, you can come. And bring Tyra and Jake. I bet Jake misses me."

"I bet he does too," Tim replied. Jake had only seen Billy a couple of times. He and Tyra had only made the trip back to Dillon once since the reunion last year. But Jake asked about his Uncle Billy a lot. And both of them seemed to have so much fun hanging out together.

"You know, Billy, Tyra and I were thinking of getting a new house up in Nashville. Maybe one with three bedrooms."

Tim waited to see if Billy understood but he just flipped through a comic book he was holding.

"Do you think, maybe, you'd like to come up there and live with us? Live with Jake?"

Tim held his breath. It felt wrong to be so far away from his brother. To only see him every few months instead of every day.

"I live in Dillon, remember?"

"I remember. But I thought maybe you'd like to live up in Nashville with us."

Billy was quiet for a few minutes, thumbing his comic book slowly. Finally he looked up at Tim. "I think you'll be a real good dad, Timmy."

Tim narrowed his eyes. What did that have to do with anything?

"You take care of Jake, and I'll take care of me." Billy handed the comic book to his younger brother. "Can you give this to Jake? I already read it."

Tim accepted the comic book and watched as Billy got up and looked for something else to occupy his attention. He'd tried with Billy, he'd really tried. But if Billy wanted to go it alone then Tim was going to have to let go. Just…why did it feel so wrong?

_/tbc/_


	4. Chapter 3

The Wedding

**The Wedding  
Chapter 3**

Lyla woke up and looked over at her wedding dress hanging on the closet door. She smiled and stretched under the covers. It was strange to think that this was the last time she would wake up in this bed as Lyla Garrity.

Actually, it might be the last time she ever woke up in this bed—Jason couldn't get upstairs to her old room at her mom's house. He seemed so comfortable with himself, so natural, that sometimes she forgot that it was still a struggle for him, that there were things he'd never be able to do and places he'd never be able to go.

She'd learned that the hard way the first week she'd moved into his apartment in Austin.

_"How do you have this closet set up?" Lyla asked as she pulled the clothes from her garment bag to hang them up._

_"Uh, so I can reach everything," Jason replied as he wheeled up behind her._

_She stood in front of the closet, the racks all four feet from the ground. "Okay, and my stuff?"_

_"I'll have maintenance come over and put some new ones in," Jason replied, his voice a little short._

_She laid her skirts back down on the bed. It could wait until later._

_"What's with the pillows?" she asked as she approached Jason's bed, several pillows taking up what would be her side of the bed. "And the bar on the edge?"_

_"I use them to turn at night, and to position," Jason answered._

_"Oh, okay," she replied. How could she not know this stuff? Jason had been paralyzed for over ten years and she was shocked by how little of his daily routine she really understood._

_She watched as Jason wheeled into the bathroom and pulled up to the sink. He reached to open the drawer, but couldn't quite reach the lever. Then he pushed back and sighed. She had put her hair dryer underneath the sink, thinking it was out of the way, but it prevented him from pulling all the way in. Lyla stepped towards the bathroom to move the offending appliance just as Jason carefully transferred over to the toilet and reached down next to the stool. His hand hit nothing but air._

_"Lyla? Where's my stuff?" he asked._

_She cocked her head and looked at him. "Stuff? You're going to have to be more specific than that, Jason. You've got stuff tucked everywhere."_

_"I know and where did you put it?"_

_"I cleaned up," she said, picking up her hair dryer and looking around for a better place to put it._

_"You what?"_

_"Tidied up. Seriously, Jason, it's not that big of a place and we need to keep things cleaned up around here so it works for both of us."_

_"Yeah, but I have stuff where I need it, Lyla. Like I'm sitting here on my throne and I have STUFF I need..."_

_Her mind ran over the things she'd put away earlier. She'd seen the pile of things next to the toilet and assumed they had just been dropped there by Jason at some point. She didn't say a word, but headed for the hall closet, coming back with the medication and hand brace she had picked up earlier._

_"Sorry," she said, quietly. "I just didn't think..."_

_"Yeah," he answered. "Living together is totally different than spending a couple of nights with someone. And I want this to be your place too, Lyla, but I have to have some things the way I need them."_

_Lyla nodded, chastised. "I get it."_

_Jason smiled at her. "Now, can you give me a few minutes to myself?"_

And that was just how it was—there were things that he could do for her and things that she could do for him, but sometimes they just had to take care of themselves. It drove her nuts when they were in a hurry in the morning and it took him three times longer to dress than it would if she had helped him, but she had learned very quickly that Jason Street did not take well to having someone dress him, let alone put his shoes on and off. So, she woke him up earlier, which he also didn't like. But at least they got out of the house on time. It was all a matter of compromise.

"Lyla?"

She peeked her head out of the blankets to see her mom in the doorway.

"You getting up, honey? Tami and Julie are going to be expecting us for the bridesmaid's brunch in a few minutes. Joanne is stopping on the way over to pick us up."

The bridesmaid's brunch. Honestly, Lyla would have rather stayed in bed an extra half hour and then had a cup of coffee on the patio, but it was a Texas tradition and her mother had insisted—heck, her mother had goaded Julie into hosting the damned thing.

"Oh, and the salon called. They want you to call them back," her mom said as she headed back out of Lyla's room.

* * *

Jason waited in the country club parking lot as Tim drove up with Billy and parked.

"What took you so long?" he asked as Tim climbed out and moved around to the trunk.

"I kind of had an errand to run," Tim replied, opening the trunk and stepping back to let Billy lift out both sets of golf clubs.

"Hey Billy, can you get mine out of my trunk too?" Jason asked, handing Billy his keys.

As soon as Billy moved away, Jason leaned in close to Tim. "So, did you give it to her? What did she say?"

"Nah man, there was no one there."

"Did you leave it?"

"I'm not an idiot," Tim replied. "Leave a purdy blue box with a white ribbon in a house with no one there? I'm no fool."

Jason blushed and lowered his head.

"Nice choice, Street. Way to impress your girl."

Jason had struggled with what to buy Lyla for a wedding present. Tiffany's had seemed a bit over-the-top at first, but they'd waited so long for this day, he wanted her to know how special and important she was to him.

"You think she'll like it?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, man, she's gonna love that little blue box like no little blue box has ever been loved before." Tim's smile broke across his face slowly. "That's one special blue box. I gotta tell ya."

Jason laughed. "Okay, okay. Maybe when she opens it I can ask if she liked it." He turned and pushed his wheelchair towards Billy. "Geez, you think you'd give a guy a break on his wedding day."

Tim laughed as he followed behind him.

Billy pulled Jason's clubs from the trunk and stared at them for a second. "Hey, why are those so little?" he asked.

Jason pushed his chair around the back of the car. "They're special, for me," he explained.

"Oh, cause you can't stand no more?" Billy asked as he slipped a bag over each shoulder.

Jason nodded. "Yep, but I can still play. You think you could teach me a thing or two about swinging?"

"You bet!"

"So did anyone think to tell Buddy we were coming?" Jason asked.

"Nah, I just had Coach sign us up for a foursome," Tim answered, a smile on his face.

"So he has no idea?" Jason responded.

"None," Tim said.

Jason grinned. Buddy may have been his father-in-law, well, he would be a few hours, but he was still a hard man to please. And Jason loved fooling with him. Seeing the expression on Buddy's face when their foursome, with three bum legs, a child in a man's body, and the former coach Buddy still resented for leaving…it was going to be a fun day.

"Hey, looks like Coach beat us here," Tim said, looking down toward the clubhouse. "He said he'd arrange a cart for you."

"And are you going to be able to walk 18 holes?" Jason asked, trying not to point out the obvious.

"Are you kidding?" Tim replied. "Billy could, though. Of course we'd spend the next three days trying to find him because he'd never make it back from the fairway on seven and I don't think it's fair for us to send the coach on that goose chase. I'm thinking we'll just all go in carts."

"A fine idea," Jason replied.

"Gentleman," Eric said as he walked up to the motley group. "Our tea time is in twenty minutes. Bloody Mary anyone?"

"Wife won't let me drink," Jason responded.

"Alcoholic," Tim added.

"Sure!" Billy shouted and headed for the clubhouse.

"Uh, just make his a virgin," Tim called after them.

The bags of golf clubs slipped from Billy's shoulders as he ran, Eric hustling to keep up with him.

"Won't be his first," Jason added as they both began to laugh. Billy had paraded more than his share of women through the Riggins' house in his day.

"So," Jason said as he pushed alongside of Tim. "Do you seriously consider yourself an alcoholic?"

"Don't drink 'cause bad things happen," Tim said, shrugging and looking down at the ground. "Whatever. It's just a word."

"You're a bigger man than me, Riggins," Jason replied. "I'd just say I'm a Methodist."

Tim smiled a little, but it faded quickly. "Thing is, Street—people look at you and they can see what's broken right off. I have to keep telling them, or let them think what they like," Tim answered. "And with this surgery and Billy moving out…well I need to remember everything that broke in that accident, even if some of it is fixed now."

Jason looked up at Tim and mentally kicked himself for trying to make light of the situation. "You're a good man, Tim. Anyone can see that."

"Jason…well, isn't it good to see you here."

Jason and Tim turned in unison at the sound of Buddy's voice.

"I hadn't expected to see you until the church," Buddy added. "Are you here…" He paused as he took in the three bags of clubs that Billy had dropped. "Are you here to golf?"

Jason grinned and looked up at Tim.

"My brother did play briefly on the tour, sir," Tim pointed out as Eric headed back with Billy firmly under his control.

"Ah…yes…yes, he did," Buddy said as he turned and smiled at a group of men heading for the course.

"Anyway, Coach asked us to come out and arranged for a cart, so yep, we're here," Jason said. "Is that okay with you, Mr. Garrity?"

Buddy looked stumped for a moment, but then he flashed his trademark grin and leaned down to clap Jason's shoulder. "You call me Buddy now, you hear?"

"Yes sir," Jason replied.

"Mornin' Buddy," Eric said, holding his hand out to shake Lyla's father's. "Nice of you to have us out here."

"Well, I wouldn't want to keep you from…say, Eric, do I remember you liked playing the back nine better than the front?" Buddy said as he steered the group toward the club house. "Let's just get you set up out there."

"Isn't the back nine an odd place to start?" Jason said to Tim as they moved slowly behind the rest of the men. He knew Buddy was recovering from heart surgery, but there was no reason for them to play a short round.

"Hell, the less walking the better," Tim replied.

"Alright, gentlemen, here are your 'Garrity wedding party' golf hats." Buddy was standing on the steps of the clubhouse, handing out embroidered hats to all of the players.

"Just Garrity?" Tim turned his hat over in his hand. "Man, I'm thinking I dodged a bullet," he said, teasing Jason as they waited for Buddy to stop boasting about how much he'd paid for the golf course rental.

Jason grinned wryly and settled a hat on his head. "It's a sign of the depth of my love for the woman," he replied.

_"Jason?"_

_Jason looked over where Tim was in the hospital bed, his knee in a machine that slowly bent his leg back and forth, trying to increase the angle he could bend the new joint._

_"What?" Jason asked. "Do you need anything?"_

_"Nah, I'm good," Tim answered, smiling. They had him on a pretty steady stream of painkillers._

_Tim was quiet for a few minutes, almost asleep, then Jason heard his voice again._

_"Jay?"_

_"Yeah, Tim."_

_"Why did you forgive me for what I did to you? Why did you forgive her?"_

_Jason looked over at his friend, his eyes half shut as the fog of the drugs clouded his brain. They never talked about it. It was just that thing that they never could…never would talk about._

_"I forgive you, Timmy. We don't need to talk about it," he answered._

_"No, I need to know how you could forgive me. How can you be my friend?" Tim opened his eyes and looked over at Jason, then rolled his head back on the pillow._

_Jason pulled his chair up closer to Tim's hospital bed. "I didn't think I would, Tim. I mean, in my head I knew that I just needed to let it go and be done with it, that I loved Lyla and you were my best friend and I needed both of you, but I didn't really forgive you. I just did everything I could to let it go."_

_"I know," Tim answered. "I knew that, but it's different now, isn't it?"_

_Jason reached up and took Tim's hand in his, his weak fingers tightening around Tim's as much as they could._

_"It was the summer I was in London," he started. "We had a free day during the week we were there practicing. I went down to Westminster Abbey."_

_Jason traced his other hand along the sheets on Tim's bed. "It was so quiet in there, which is weird because there were tourists everywhere. And then this choir came in—a boy's choir and they began to sing and I don't know what happened. It was like something just washed over me. It took me a while to figure out what it was."_

_"A cold sweat?" Tim teased, his voice slow._

_Jason shook his head. "I don't know why it happened that day, other than I was thinking about how I wished that you and Lyla were there with me and then I knew—that even though I hadn't gone in there looking for forgiveness, that was what happened. I didn't ask for it—not that day anyway—I just found it. It was like the Spirit itself had come and lifted it off me, finally, after all those years."_

_"Pretty deep, Street," Tim replied._

_"It was a long time ago, Tim, and we were all out of our minds. I'm just thankful you're in my life now and that she is too."_

_Jason looked around the hospital room. He'd spent so much time in the hospital, alone, wondering where his best friend was. And then, when it was Tim's turn, Jason had found the strength to forget about that and just be there for Tim. That was a sign right there that they'd figure it all out one day. Put the pieces back where they belonged._

_"You said it once—that between the three of us we'd get through anything. Even when I was so angry at both of you, I thought about that day. At first it pissed me off to know that you two were together, that you were betraying me, but when you said that…it was one of those things that I knew, deep down, was really true and that day was the first time I felt like myself again after the accident. You did that, Tim—you made me whole again."_

_"You too, Street," Tim answered, his eyes closing._

_"Get some sleep, man," Jason responded. He smiled as his friend's eyes closed for good, finally giving in to the drugs._

"Who's here for the cart?"

Jason looked up at the golf pro driving the adapted cart down toward them. He pulled his chair up next to the cart and, with the Coach's help, transferred into it. He waited while the pro helped adjust the straps that would keep him in the seat while he played.

"You should look into one of these, Riggins," Jason called as he pivoted the seat around so that he was ready to drive onto the course. He paused while the pro put his clubs on the cart.

"Nah, I'm going for the party wagon," Tim replied as he joined Billy and Eric in the other cart.

"Woo hoo!" Billy called out as they headed for the course.

* * *

"So, what did the salon say when they called?" Lyla asked her mother for the third time as they walked into Matt and Julie's house.

Julie looked up at the sound of Lyla's tense voice. This didn't sound good.

"They said they needed to talk to you and asked you to call," Lyla's mom replied. "I can't imagine why they aren't answering the phone now."

"Something's wrong," Lyla said as she set her purse down on the table in the entry way.

"Mornin'," Tami said as she walked from the kitchen to the front of the house. "Wow, can you believe it's already your wedding day?"

Julie looked over at Lyla and tried to send her a supportive smile. They'd grown closer this past year and she knew that things were stressful with her family. Julie really hoped Lyla's wedding day went off without a hitch. After everything she's been through with her father and mother, she deserved that much.

_Julie looked up at the sound of a woman crying. She cast a glance around the parking garage, her gaze stopping on a tall, dark haired woman leaning against a late model Saab._

_"Are you okay?" she asked as she started to walk over._

_"Uh…yeah," the woman said, as she turned to face Julie._

_"Lyla?" Julie asked. She could not have been more shocked. "What? What are you doing here?"_

_Lyla brushed the tears from her face. "Well, most recently I've locked my keys in my car, but before that I was in the hospital visiting my dad who had bypass surgery and trying to explain to him that I have no idea why his wife hasn't called because the last thing I heard was that she had cleared her stuff out of their house and was headed to Reno for a quicky divorce, but I didn't think that was what a man with a weak heart needed to hear."_

_Julie held out the handkerchief she had in her purse. Lyla took it and dabbed at the tears on her face._

_"Can I give you a ride somewhere?" Julie offered._

_Lyla smiled as she handed the soft cloth back to Julie. "Thanks. Jason's in Austin, I came up by myself. I guess I need a locksmith or something."_

_"I'll drive you to a garage, okay?" Julie and Lyla began walking over to her car. She unlocked the doors, but Lyla paused behind her car._

_"Wait. What are you doing in the Baylor Medical Center parking garage?" Lyla asked._

_Julie paused, then looked at Lyla, her own eyes now filling with tears. "It's my dad. He has cancer."_

_Lyla threw her arms around Julie, squeezing tightly._

_"Oh, I'm so sorry. Is he okay? I mean…"_

_Julie pulled back, biting her lip to keep from crying. "I don't know. We only just found out. It's just…" She tried to fight it back, but a sob escaped her lips. Tears streamed down her cheeks._

_Lyla hugged her again, holding her for a long moment. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over Julie. She remembered finding Lyla in the hospital hallway that night Jason had gotten hurt. She barely knew who Lyla Garrity was back then; just that she was popular and madly in love with Jason Street._

_It had seemed like a lame gesture at the time, offering a hug to a girl who didn't know if the love of her life was going to walk again, but when Lyla had clutched tightly to the fabric of Julie's jacket, she had known she was helping._

_She hoped Lyla knew how it much it meant to her to have the gesture returned._

"I'm going down there to see what's going on," Lyla threatened as she snapped her cell phone closed.

"Honey, why don't you let me give them a call and see what's going on," Tami offered. "We're still waiting on Tyra and Tabby, anyway."

Julie poured coffee for Pam and Joanne. She leaned in as she filled Lyla's cup. "I know Matt left some Irish crème in the cupboard if you need me to doctor this up."

Lyla smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid I might need my wits about me."

As the doorbell rang, Julie's mom came back into the room, a smile plastered across her face.

"Mornin' ladies," Tyra said as she walked in. "Are we ready for some pampering?"

"Great idea," Tabby added. "Let's start with our nails."

"Hang on," Lyla interjected as Tami reentered the room. "I need to know if I have to glue my veil to my head, or if someone is going to attach it properly."

"Well…" Tami began. "The good news is I have an idea."

"And the bad news?" Lyla asked.

"The salon didn't answer your call was because there was a gas leak and they had to evacuate."

"But they're getting back in, right?" Lyla asked.

"First thing Monday," Tami replied.

Julie closed her eyes. Lyla was going to lose it.

"And the good news, Mrs. T?" Tyra asked.

Tami held up the latest issue of People magazine. "According to this, Smash Williams is dating Kevin Parisi and when I talked to Corinna at the store the other day she mentioned that Brian was bringing a friend to the wedding."

"The Kevin Parisi?" Julie asked, thinking about all the times she'd seen his name or his salons mentioned in various celebrity magazines.

"I met him once at a press junket in LA. He's good, Garrity," Tyra said.

"The very one," Tami replied. "I'm just going to call over to the Williams' household. Y'all have some coffee and frankly, bust into the mimosas, because I think we could all use a little bit of stress relief."

* * *

Buddy looked out over the edge of the deck at the golf course. "Eric!" he called as he saw the coach walking back toward the club house.

Eric waved, set his clubs down and headed over toward Buddy's table. He seemed to be moving pretty well, albeit a bit slow.

"You golf nine or eighteen?" he asked the coach as Eric pulled up a chair and signaled the server for a beer.

"Nine. I left Jason and Tim out there with Billy," Eric replied as he pulled a hankie from his pocket and swabbed it across his forehead.

"So, Billy—can he still hit the ball pretty well?" Buddy asked. It was amazing to him that the guy could still put one foot in front of the other, considering his brains had been pretty much scrambled and all.

"He was beating all of us," Eric replied. "He doesn't have a good grasp on the point of the game, but if you tell him which way to go, he hits the ball long and clean. Good putter, too."

"And Jason?" Buddy asked, taking a sip of the amber liquid in his glass.

"He's a good shot, too. It's amazing how well he can play with the shorter clubs and that cart. It's good to see him out there."

Buddy nodded. He couldn't imagine making a spectacle of himself like that.

"So, you feeling okay?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, doc says my heart's as good as ever. Lyla's on my case about eating better, but I've lost about 30 pounds and I only have one of these a week," he said, holding up the glass with the remnants of a shot of Scotch in the bottom. "And you, Eric?"

Taylor hesitated, looking out over the golf course instead of responding.

"Coach? Everything okay?" Buddy asked.

If something was bothering him, he covered it well. Eric turned back to Buddy, smiled and shook his head. "Good days and bad. It's hell to get old, Buddy."

Buddy shook his head. Yeah, it was hell to get old, but this wasn't getting old—this was cancer and it was damned unfair. Coach was a good man. Damned unfair.

* * *

Smash heard the cars drive up and looked out the living room window. What was he getting himself into?

"Ladies," he said, smiling as the parade of women entered his house.

Lyla hugged him quickly, her hands shaking as she pulled away. "Smash, are you sure about this?"

He nodded and gave her a gentle push towards the kitchen. "Go on in there and see Momma. We'll take care of you, girl."

He smiled and greeted each of the women as Julie followed Lyla, then Mrs. Taylor, damn she was still looking fine, Mrs. Street, Mrs. Garrity, someone he recognized as Lyla's younger sister…was it Tibby…and finally Tyra.

"Tyra Collette," Smash said warmly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Or did Riggs make an honest woman out of you yet?"

Tyra smiled tersely. "No, no, still Collette. Me and Jake."

Smash winced. Had he struck a nerve?

"You need me to talk to him for you, baby? Tell him the proper way to treat a lady."

Tyra sighed and puffed air out of her cheeks. "Another day, okay? Because I'm telling you…I've been a bridesmaid just about enough times. You get what I'm saying?"

"Loud and clear, darlin'."

Smash closed the door and trailed behind Tyra into the kitchen. It wasn't his business, but he'd have fun ribbin' Tim about not marrying her yet. Hadn't they been apart for 10 years? What was Riggs waiting for?

"Thank you so much, Brian," Mrs. Taylor said as Smash entered the kitchen full of women. "I don't know what we would have done without you and your friend."

Friend, Smash thought. So was that what his Momma was calling Kevin these days? It beat 'that boy' anyway.

"Oh, Lyla! You look so pretty!" Mrs. Williams said as she walked into the kitchen. "Now, just come on in here. Kevin is downstairs getting settled in the salon."

Smash watched as a look passed between Julie and Tyra.

"Salon?" Julie whispered to Tyra.

Tyra just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Thank goodness Brian built me my own little salon when he had this house designed," Mrs. Williams continued. "He just knew it was my own little dream to have someone come in to fix my hair right in my own house."

"Well, now, isn't that just as convenient as can be," Mrs. Taylor replied sweetly.

"Why don't I take you down to meet Kevin, Lyla?" Smash offered.

"We can't all come?" Tyra asked.

Smash stared at her for a moment. He knew Tyra had met Kevin. He'd received a hysterical phone call teasing him all about the new guy he was shacking up with. And he thought she'd be on his side. "Uh…I think it might be better if Lyla and I went down—did a little consult first."

"You just go right ahead. I brought along our brunch supplies and we'll just be up here having some muffins and fruit," Tami said.

Smash gestured for Lyla to follow him downstairs to the lower level where the small salon was located.

"So, Kevin—he's a genius, you know," Smash said, trying to break what Kevin was actually like to her slowly.

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' there," Lyla said, holding her veil in her hand as they walked down the steps.

"Well…he's just very creative and high-spirited and…"

Lyla reached out and touched him on the shoulder. "Smash, are you dating a queen?" There was a smile on her face.

Smash grimaced. There was no way out of this.

"It's okay. I lived in New York. I can handle a queeny hair styling genius. Thank you very much."

Smash smiled and pulled open the salon door. "Man, I had forgotten about you living in New York. Well…he's great and everything, but…"

"Brian!"

Kevin's voice rang shrilly into the hallway. Smash released a pinched smile and ushered Lyla through the door. "Let's just get this over with."

_/tbc/_


	5. Chapter 4

The Wedding

**The Wedding  
Chapter 4**

Tyra walked back into the Williams' kitchen and slumped into a chair. Julie was seated at the table, rolling a nail polish bottle back and forth in her hands.

"You wait your entire life to have your hair done by Kevin Parisi and he spends 10 minutes with a straightening iron and calls it done," Tyra said. "I feel cheated."

Julie looked up at her and smiled sympathetically. Her hair was pulled into a complicated updo with tendrils twisting up from the base of her neck to disappear into the cluster of curls at the back of her head.

Tyra eyed her cautiously. She'd better not say Tyra's very straight, thank you very much Mr. Parisi, shoulder-length bob looked gorgeous.

"Your hair looks gorgeous," Julie said.

Tyra held up one hand to silence her. "Give me five seconds to vent, okay?" She smiled and shook her head. "Leave it to me to chop my hair off a month before the wedding anyway. I thought Lyla was going to kick me out of the whole thing."

Julie laughed and placed the nail polish bottle on the table. "Here, let me do your nails. A little nail-therapy always helps."

Tyra glanced at her watch quickly. "I don't know. I really should drop by Landry's place and check on Jake before we head back to Lyla's."

"I'll make it quick," Julie said. "I have a very steady hand!"

"Sounds good." Laughing, Tyra pulled her chair in and stretched one hand out towards Julie. "I'm just…" She chanced a quick glance over her shoulder. They were alone. "Just between you and me, I'm sick of going to weddings where I'm not the bride. You know what I mean?"

Julie blushed and kept her eyes trained on Tyra's hand.

"I mean, I love Jason and Lyla, I really do. But it's like all of our friends are getting married and we're just dating." Tyra leaned her chin on her free hand. "Well at least you and Matt are engaged. That's something."

"Yeah," Julie responded quietly.

"Do you ever talk about setting another date?" Tyra asked.

Julie shrugged but didn't reply.

Tyra knew it had been hard on Julie to postpone the wedding. When she and Matt first got engaged, Julie had talked about nothing else for months. Then suddenly the wedding was off with no explanation. Tyra had wondered if maybe something serious was wrong, but in her heart she knew that Julie and Matt would make it. They were one of the lucky ones.

_"So I talked to Lyla today." Tyra tucked the phone under her chin and dropped down onto the couch. Tim was huffing into the other end of the line, probably distracted by working on his truck or something._

_"She asked me to be a bridesmaid."_

_Tim's voice was nonchalant. "That's good."_

_Tyra twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She should get it cut. "I told her I had to talk to you about it."_

_A grunt, then Tyra heard the clang of something metal dropping. "Yeah? Why?"_

_"Well, you and Jake are standing for Jason. It's expensive to be in a wedding, and with all three of us…"_

_"I can pay for Jake," Tim said._

_Tyra leaned back and closed her eyes. That wasn't it at all. "No, I mean, you don't have to. It's just with the travel down there. And Landry'll probably be on tour by then…"_

_Tim interrupted her. "It's Jay and Lyla. If they want us to be there…"_

_"But we weren't even close. Why isn't she asking one of her friends from New York?"_

_"Tyra." Tim's voice was low. "If you don't want to do it, don't do it."_

_Tyra bit her lip. It wasn't that she didn't want to do it, or that it was too expensive or even that she wondered why Lyla had asked her in the first place. She just didn't want to do it as a single woman. It was ridiculous, and she knew that. She had only been back together with Tim for a few months; they were hardly talking marriage._

_But when she thought about her life—about having a child that was almost nine and how she'd raised him all this time on her own—she was ready to settle down with someone. With Tim._

_Tim's voice disrupted her thoughts. "Maybe it'll be nice. The three of us there together. At the wedding."_

_Yeah, it would be nice, and it was exactly what she wanted. She just wanted to be the one wearing the white dress._

Sighing, Tyra looked down at her nails, now a pale pink. Julie dipped the brush in the bottle and reached out for Tyra's other hand. The silver band with five small diamonds on Julie's left hand caught Tyra's attention as she stretched her hand out.

"Um, Julie?"

Julie looked up, her left hand holding Tyra's.

"Wasn't your engagement ring a solitaire?" she asked.

Julie looked down at her hand, her eyes wide. Releasing Tyra's hand, she pulled her hand back towards her and picked up the bottle.

"Ah, no, I mean, it was, but then we…"

Tyra stared at Julie struggling to come up with a response. What was she hiding?

"Are you and Matt okay? Did you give back your engagement ring?" Tyra asked her.

Julie stopped, her lips pinched tightly together. Then her shoulders dropped and she smiled. "No. I've still got it. I just don't wear it anymore."

Tyra's eyes narrowed as she waited for Julie to explain.

"I took it off two weeks ago." Julie grinned and stared down at her left hand, stretching her fingers. "Matt and I are married."

* * *

"Hey, I figured you'd be out golfing," Landry said as he walked up the driveway toward Matt and Julie's house.

Matt laid down the clippers he'd been using to trim the bush under the window. "The heck you did—if you thought I'd be golfing then why'd you come over?"

"Okay, maybe I do have a better sense of Matt Saracen than I let on," Landry replied. "You got any coffee in that house?"

Matt led Landry into the house and headed for the kitchen where he carefully filled the coffee pot with water and added the prescribed amount of grounds.

"Geez, I just dump it in until it looks right," Landry observed as Matt set down the measuring spoon.

"This is the difference between a civilized husband and a free-living musician on the road," Matt replied.

"Man, two weeks and the girl has you practically neutered. I mean, I like Julie and all, but you're going to rinse that measuring spoon out, aren't you?"

"And then I'm going to dump the coffee grounds when we're done making the coffee, too," Matt added.

Oh Lord, his boy was whipped. "She makes you compost?" Landry asked.

Matt nodded and turned back to his coffee-making duties.

"Yep, a full on neutering," Landry repeated.

A little smile crept across Matt's face.

"What are you smiling about?" Landry asked.

Matt crossed over to the fridge door and reached under a piece of paper to pull a photo off the door. He held it out to Landry.

Landry took the photo and looked down at it. "Oh…oh. Seriously?"

Matt smiled and nodded.

He stared at the picture again. It was…it was amazing. "So, that beautiful, little, intimate wedding I was at two weeks ago—that was a shotgun wedding?"

"Didn't you see the gun in Coach's hands?" Matt asked, clearly starting to enjoy teasing Landry.

"How? When?" Landry sputtered.

"I'm not talking about that," Matt protested.

Landry shook his head and stared at his best friend. Matt was going to be a father. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. He took a step forward and pulled Matt into a tight embrace. "Damn, Matty—I'm just so…" He took a step back. "I will be this baby's godfather. I hope you know that."

"Absolutely," Matt answered. "And from now on, we'll only refer to you as the guest of Matt Saracen's baby."

* * *

"Lyla, honey, it's all going to be fine. You'll see."

"How, exactly? Tell me Mom, how exactly it is going to be fine with seven hours before our reception starts and no band to play. How?"

Lyla pressed her fingers to her temples. She really, really wanted to drive them deep into her hair but her hair was the one thing that had gone right today, and even that was after her original hairdresser canceled.

Now the manager of their band, the one she and Jason had carefully picked after weeks of listening to sample CDs and reading online reviews from other married couples, had called to say that the entire group had come down with food poisoning. Some retirement party gone terribly wrong the day before or something—she really didn't care. She just needed a band to play for 300 guests tonight, or their reception was ruined.

"Lyla…"

Her mother tried again but Lyla silenced her with her hand.

"Do you know another band?" Lyla asked, looking at her mom. When she received no response, she turned and looked slowly around her living room at Julie and Tabby. "Do you? Do any of you?"

No responses from anyone.

"Well," she said, throwing up her hands. "You might as well call Tyra and tell her to stay with Jake. No wedding today!"

She laughed, high-pitched and hysterical; frightening even to her own ears.

"God, I mean, it's not like I haven't waited for this day, right? I haven't been planning and wishing and praying to God that my father didn't hire his favorite honky-tonk duo to play at the hall." She looked at the three ladies standing before her; not one of them with a suggestion to offer. "I give up. I give up!"

The doorbell rang, piercing the silence hovering over the group. Tabby made a move to answer it but Lyla stopped her.

"No, let me. It's probably the florist saying our flowers wilted."

She paused in the foyer with her hand on the doorknob. She couldn't handle it if there was yet another catastrophe waiting on the other side of door. She felt like she was out of control. If her family knew that the things she was saying out loud were about one tenth as bad as the things she was thinking, they'd probably take her down to the hospital and have her committed on a 72-hour hold. Lyla took a deep breath. Finally she turned the knob and opened the door, surprised at who was waiting there.

"If you are here to tell me that Jason changed his mind, so help me God, you better go back there and strangle him yourself because I will hurt the both of you…so bad."

Tim glanced over his shoulder, like he was judging the distance to his car and deciding if he could make it faster than her.

He turned back to look at her. "I…uh…"

"What, Tim? What do you want? Is Jason backing out? No, let me guess, Jake has the chicken pox and your whole family is infected and can't come. Is that it?" she spat, her voice getting higher and faster.

Lyla bit her tongue between her teeth, holding her mouth slightly open. She wasn't going to cry in front of Tim. She wasn't going to cry at all. She really, really wasn't.

Tim took her by the elbow and led her outside, closing the door behind her. She tried to hold back, but this one act of kindness was too much. She lost it. Tears streamed down her face and her body shook as she stood there on the front step. Tim's arm supported her back, guiding her to sit on the steps. Lyla clutched her arms across her stomach and bent forward at the waist. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Tim's arm reached around her shoulders, pulling her shaking body towards his chest. She let him lead her, burying her face in his shirt. How did she end up here? Crying on Tim's shoulder on her wedding day?

"Oh God, everything…everything is so…" Lyla tried to speak but her words were broken by sobs.

"I just…I just wanted everything to be perfect and it's not, it's not perfect at all." Pulling away slightly, she ran her hands along her jeans, fighting to get a grip on her emotions. "This whole day. I don't even recognize it. And it's my wedding!

"Things are all messed up. The hairdresser. Now the band. We'll probably get to the hall and it will be flooded."

Tim kept his arm on her shoulders, his hand gripping her upper arm.

"I just can't…" Lyla took a deep breath.

Tim's voice was rough as he spoke against her hair. "What do you need?"

She turned to glance at him. His eyes were staring straight into hers, focused and serious.

Lyla shook her head quickly. "Nothing. There's nothing you can do."

Releasing her shoulder, Tim brought his arm around to his lap. That's when Lyla noticed the small box sitting on the step beside him. The small blue box tied with a white ribbon.

Tim picked it up and held it with both hands, turning to look at her again. "Jay asked me to give you this. But it's a wedding present. I think you gotta get married to earn it."

Lyla looked away, wiping her face with her hands.

"Tell me what you need, Lyla."

"Tim, I…" Lyla looked back at him, sitting there with his cane laid on the step, his leg stretched out in front of him. Anyone would think he was injured, broken, but Lyla knew the difference. This was Tim. He was solid.

_"Hey," Lyla said softly, sitting on the edge of the coffee table._

_Tim was lying on the couch in the den. The same place he'd been when she left for work that morning._

_"How're you feeling?" she asked._

_Tim shrugged, but she could see pain written on his face. He'd only been out of the hospital for three days, with a prescription for strong painkillers to help with the pain. Lyla would have been happier to see him in bed sleeping than lying on their couch, but she wasn't surprised to see the tough-guy act in full force._

_"When do you take your painkillers again?" She looked at her watch; 5:30. He'd taken them at eight when she'd left this morning, and should have had them every 4 hours after that._

_Tim closed his eyes and mumbled. "Dunno."_

_Lyla set her mouth firmly. "When did you take them last?"_

_Another shrug._

_"Did Jason give you any today?"_

_"Once…I think?"_

_"Honestly," Lyla muttered as she stood and made her way into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and Tim's painkillers from the kitchen counter. She knew that his not taking the pills was just as much his own fault as it was Jason's, but she needed some help if they were going to see Tim through this surgery. His stubbornness was going to ruin any chance he had at a full recovery._

_Tim's eyes were closed when she sat on the coffee table again. She tipped one of the pills into her hand and then touched Tim's arm._

_"Take this," she said quietly._

_Tim reached out blindly, accepting the pill she pushed against his palm and swallowing it greedily._

_Lyla handed him the water next and waited while he downed half the bottle. She pressed her hand against his forehead as he settled back against the cushions._

_"Get some rest. I'll check on you later."_

_As she left the room, Lyla turned and looked back at Tim. They were friends now, all of them. But still, sometimes…_

_She shook her head and continued out of the room. It was hard for Tim to accept help from her and Jason, she knew that. And she was glad he was putting his ego aside to stay with them and get the help he needed. The Tim Riggins she knew in high school would never have lowered his guard in that way._

Rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes, Lyla said a silent prayer of thanks that she was doing her own make-up later, and didn't have to worry about ruining it now. She sighed and hung her head, staring at her knees.

"I really need a band. Know of a good one?"

Tim was quiet, and then she felt him move beside her and looked up. He was standing on the ground, his hand outstretched to give her the gift.

Lyla accepted the box and held it in her hands for a moment.

"You have to open it because he's going to kill me if I don't report back that you liked it."

Lyla laughed, a soft hiccupping through the sobs still threatening to escape. Pulling the edge of the ribbon, she released the flat, rectangular box and slowly pulled it open. She gasped and almost dropped it when she saw what rested inside.

Fingers shaking, Lyla reached down to release the delicate diamond and emerald tennis bracelet from the velvet lining.

"It's…it's…"

She looked up at Tim, who grinned. "I'll tell him," he said simply.

Lyla smiled as Tim moved towards his car, glancing back down at the gift from her husband-to-be. In the driveway, Tim turned and called back to her.

"You got a preference for this band? Or will any old band do?"

Laughing for the first time since her wedding day began, Lyla shook her head. "As long as they can play _Someone Like You_."

Tim nodded as he opened the car door.

Lyla stood up and called after him. "Seriously, Tim…where are you going to find a band?"

He only smiled and closed the car door behind him. Beside him in the front seat, Billy was waving at her. She waved back, smiling as the brothers pulled out of her driveway. She really didn't know where Tim was going to find a band for tonight, but what else was she going to do about it. Her bracelet glinted in the bright noon-day sun. She had a fiancé that loved her very much, and wanted to be her husband. The church was fine, she hoped, and they would be married no matter what music they danced to tonight.

She walked back inside to show her mother the gift.

* * *

Tami looked up as the door to the hotel room opened. She slowly closed the lid on her laptop.

"How was golf?" she asked as Eric walked in and set his clubs in the corner.

"Good. It was fun to see Jason out on the course. He can really play and frankly, Billy is still pretty good too. Just a bit unfocused."

"You play nine or eighteen?" she asked.

Eric paused and looked at her. "Nine. Why?"

"You were just gone a long time," she responded. She worked to keep her voice neutral. She'd been pretty shocked when she got back from the Williams' and Eric wasn't here. "I just thought you might like to work in a nap sometime today before the wedding. It's going to be another late night."

Eric sighed and sat down on the bed. "It was just golf, Tami. And then I sat and had a drink with Buddy and we talked about our health."

"I didn't mean anything…" she began.

"No, you did," he answered. "I see you watching me, making sure I'm getting enough sleep and the eating the right food. I need to just live my life."

"Sorry," she said, as she got up from the desk and walked toward the bathroom. She stopped and turned back to face him. "I'm sorry if it seems like I'm smothering you. I guess I just wish you cared enough to take better care of yourself." She choked on the words as the tears started to come.

"Damn it, Tami." Eric stood up, clearly upset. "Get off my case. Let me live my life."

"Fine, Eric. You go _live_ your life. Live it right into your grave," she said as she walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. She dropped down on the toilet and began to cry. Why couldn't he see how scared she was? Why couldn't he let her help him, make this all easier for him?

What would she do if he died? She wouldn't be able to handle it. She had loved Eric Taylor for longer than she could remember and she had banked on them having decades together. It wasn't fair that it could all be cut short now that they had finally begun to realize so many of the goals they had worked so hard for.

"Tami?"

She looked at the locked door. She could imagine him standing outside with his head leaning against the door.

"Tami, let me come in. I'm sorry."

She stood up and reached for a tissue to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Was this really how she wanted to spend this weekend? Fighting when no one knew how many good days they would have left together?

She opened the door slowly and looked up at her husband.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She slipped into his arms as he wrapped the embrace around her. "I'm sorry too," she said. She leaned back and raised one hand to his chest. "But I need you to fight for me, okay? You've got to want to keep living. See your daughter as she becomes a woman, and know your grandchildren."

Eric stepped back and reached for her hand. He led her to the bed and waited until she lay down before lying beside her and curling into her back.

"Every day I wake up and I'm afraid that it's all going to end for me—for us. I think about Julie and it hurts me so hard in the gut that I can barely breathe. And now, with the baby, it just seems so much more real. I can't bear to think about leaving you and Julie and when I think about never seeing my grandchild…"

Tami felt fresh tears drip down her face. She reached for his hand and kissed it. Eric had still been undergoing radiation treatments when they'd found out a few months ago that Julie was pregnant. They'd finally celebrated two weeks before when Julie and Matt were married in a small, private ceremony. Now there were test results to wait for and a grandchild to prepare for. Tami couldn't think about the possibility that Eric wouldn't be around to welcome the baby into their family. It hurt too much, more than she could ever say out loud to him.

She relaxed as his embrace tightened around her. When she was lying in his arms like this, she felt like everything was right with the world. Together they were stronger than anything.

* * *

Tim pulled into Landry's parents' driveway. Jake was on the front porch with Landry and jumped up, yelling "Dad!" as he hurtled himself down the driveway toward Tim.

"Whoa," Tim said, shifting his body to catch Jake against his good leg. It'd been tough to explain to Jake that he had to slow down until Tim fully recovered. Tyra's long explanation about how they had to be careful and treat Daddy's new knee gently had almost made him regret having the surgery to begin with.

He smiled and leaned over to tousle Jake's hair. "I brought someone to see you," he said.

"Is it Uncle Billy?" Jake asked, already grinning as he looked in the car to see Billy waiting for him.

Jake ran around the car and tackled Billy as the older man climbed out into the lawn. Tim walked slowly up the driveway, leaning on his cane heavily, while Jake and Billy wrestled on the grass.

Stopping at the bottom of the front steps, Tim looked up at Landry standing on the porch.

"You just missed Tyra," Landry offered. "She headed over to Lyla's."

"S'ok," Tim replied. "I wasn't lookin' for her."

Landry nodded, looking past Tim to where Jake and Billy were playing.

Walking closer, Tim eased down onto the steps at Landry's feet, hoping Landry would stay put. Even with the golf cart, he'd done a lot of walking today and his leg was really starting to feel it. He needed ice and rest before the church if he wanted to make it through the whole night. He didn't need to be chasing Landry Clarke around just to ask him a favor.

Thankfully, Landry took a seat on the step above Tim, his arms resting on his elbows.

"He really likes hanging out with Billy, doesn't he?" Landry said.

Tim watched his brother play with his son. "Yeah, maybe they'll get to spend more time together soon."

Landry's foot, bouncing on the step beside him, stopped moving. "You thinkin' about moving down to Dillon?" he asked.

Tim knew it was Landry's worst nightmare—losing Tyra and Jake.

"Nah," Tim replied. "Thinkin' about bringing Billy up to Nashville." He looked back at Landry, whose face was expressionless, his eyes still staring out over the lawn.

"Don't worry, Landry. We'll get our own place."

_Tim limped down the darkened hallway. Jake had wanted an extra three books before bed, and Tim knew he was spoiling him, but Jake was impossible to refuse. Sitting on the floor for so long had really done a number on his leg though, and now it was aching and half-asleep from the position he'd been in. He stopped and rested his hand against the wall, twisting his ankle to work out a kink._

_Then he heard the voices._

_"So were you even going to tell me, Tyra? Let alone ask me?"_

_Landry's voice floated out of the kitchen, where Tim knew Tyra had been cleaning up from dinner._

_"Look, it's not permanent or anything. We're just trying things out. Seeing how it goes," Tyra replied._

_"Right, and the two extra large suitcases I tripped over when I came in are not 'permanent'?" Landry threw back._

_Tim stood straighter and held his breath. He'd known it was a bad idea to just spring his moving to Nashville on Landry, but Tyra had wanted to tell him in her own time. Guess that time was right now._

_"Landry, tell me, do you have a problem with Jake's father living with him? Or is there some other reason you are yelling at me five minutes after you walked in the door."_

_In the hallway, Tim smiled. Damn that girl could throw down._

_There was a long pause before Landry responded, and Tim could barely make out his words._

_"I'd like you to remember that this house is half mine. And I'd like a say on who lives in it. That's all I'm saying."_

_"Coming through loud and clear," Tyra replied. "Tim is going to move in for a couple of months, so he can see how things go with Billy living on his own. And then if his house sells, we'll make things more permanent. It's just too hard to do this long-distance thing. We can't figure anything out with a weekend here and there. We need to live in the same place and I don't want to uproot Jake. That sound okay to you, Mr. Half-House-Owner?"_

_There was no response from Landry, just the sound of a cupboard door slamming and footsteps exiting the kitchen. Tim continued down the hallway, emerging into the lit foyer where his suitcases still rested. He bent over to pick one up when Landry stormed out of the kitchen and stopped short right at Tim's feet._

_Tim rose up slowly, gripping a suitcase in one hand._

_Landry's jaw was set tightly, his lips twitching as if he wanted to speak._

_"You mind?" Tim said slowly, gesturing for Landry to step aside._

_Landry did, then reached down to pick up the second bag. Tim reached for it at the same time, his hand closing over the strap just before Landry's did. He flicked his hair out of his eyes, staring at Landry, both of them bent over the same bag._

_"Let me…" Landry started._

_"I'm good," Tim replied._

_"Let me take one," Landry said, trying to push Tim's hand away from the handle._

_Tim straightened up, a bag in each hand. The effort killed his knee, pain radiating outwards in a deadly spiral. He'd pay for this later._

_"I said, I'm good," he replied. Then he walked as straight as he could down the hall._

Tim turned away from Landry to look back at Jake. He really hoped he could convince Billy to come up and live in Nashville with them. As much as Tim didn't want to consider Landry's feelings on where they chose to live, Tyra's life was intertwined with his. Tim couldn't rip that apart.

"You know Billy can come stay with us," Landry said weakly.

Tim let the comment slide. He knew that Landry would always be part of any life he shared with Tyra and Jake, but Tim was Jake's dad and it was Tim who shared a bed with Tyra. They both loved her and he could respect Landry for her sake, but it was clear that Tim was trespassing on Landry's turf here and as much as Landry tried to act like it was okay, Tim knew that it wasn't.

Still, neither of them were willing to give up Tyra and Jake completely. Some days it seemed like that old Sunday School story about the women who had come to King Solomon with a baby they each wanted. And there was no way he would destroy Landry just to get Tyra and Jake all to himself. Deep down he knew that if he did, there would be no Tyra and Jake left in his life.

"Listen," Tim said. "I didn't come here to talk about another Riggins crashing your house."

He glanced back at Landry who finally looked Tim in the face.

"I need a favor. A big one." Tim looked away. "But don't worry, it's not for me."

"You know, I don't hate you, Riggins," Landry said.

"Yeah, right. And you wish you still lived here in Dillon, too."

Landry chuckled softly. Tim knew full well that Landry had been glad to leave Dillon behind him a long time ago.

Shifting on the step, Tim leaned back a little further. "Your band still headed down to El Paso tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm flying down," Landry replied. "Why?"

Tim smiled and looked out over the grass. "You ever play a wedding?"

_/tbc/_


	6. Chapter 5

The Wedding

**The Wedding  
Chapter 5**

Jason reached for his electric razor, pulling the Velcro straps tight around his hand to hold it in his grip. He moved the razor over his face, watching carefully in the mirror over the sink. It wouldn't do to miss a few hairs on this day of all days.

There was a tap on the bathroom door. Jason turned the razor off and rested his hand on the counter. "Yes?"

His dad pushed the door open. "Everything okay in here?" he asked. "Your mom thought you might need some help with your tie."

Jason smiled at him. He missed this easy exchange back and forth with his dad.

_"We need to buy a house," Lyla said as she ran the soapy cloth over his shoulder. "We don't fit here. You need space for your stuff and I need space for mine."_

_Jason looked up at her standing behind him as he sat in his shower chair, the water glistening down over her hair and skin. "Is this about parking your car on the street?" he asked._

_"Yeah, I guess," Lyla admitted. "But if we're going to live here, we need to buy a house. This apartment—it's your space. We need something that's ours, that has space for both of us and represents the life we're living together."_

_Jason shook his head. "It's not that easy, actually."_

_"What do you mean?" Lyla replied. "We call a realtor, see what's out there and we buy a house. I cleared almost 300,000 from my apartment in New York. I'm thinking that should buy us a little something in an Austin suburb."_

_Jason sighed. As much as she professed to understand the challenges his life presented, there continued to be things she just didn't consider, like the utter lack of accessible housing. "Yeah, maybe any old house, but it's not all that easy to find an accessible house. I, uh…I called a realtor as soon as you said you would move back. She hasn't found me a single thing to look at yet."_

_Lyla looked at him, shocked. "You're kidding me. Seriously, Jason, I need to get that money back into an investment, so don't go cheap on me."_

_"I told her the sky was the limit. Nothing."_

_Lyla smiled and shrugged. "Okay, then let's go look at some land. We'll build one."_

"I bet you can't wait to see Lyla down there at the end of the aisle," Mitch said to Jason as he followed his son into the bedroom they had created for him after the accident.

Jason smiled. Lyla was traditional, so he had no idea what her dress looked like. "I know she'll be gorgeous, but then again, she always is."

Mitch opened up the closet door and pulled out Jason's tuxedo. He laid it on the bed where Jason could reach it.

"Your mom and I are so proud of you, son. We always have been, always will be, but one of our prayers was that you would meet a good woman to share your life with. We love Lyla, too."

Jason smiled, then grew serious. "I wish I knew I'd be able to provide her with everything that she wants in life," he said quietly. They had talked about a plan of action for having a family, but had decided to get through the wedding before they visited any fertility doctors.

"You'll figure it out, Jason. Your mom and I thought we'd have a bigger family, but we were blessed with one amazing kid. You and Lyla will have your family somehow."

Jason transferred onto the bed and reached for his pants and began to pull them on. "I'm not worried about being married to Lyla. I am a little afraid that she's going to flip out before the wedding itself is over. I'm not sure which of her parents are going to push her over the edge first."

"My money's on Buddy," Mitch replied as he took Jason's shirt off the hanger.

_Jason opened the door from the garage and entered the house. He could hear Lyla's voice in the kitchen._

_"Did you actually go look at the church?" he heard her ask._

_"And at no point did you notice the steps? You do remember that Jason can't walk."_

_Jason set the mail down on the table in the hall and rolled into the kitchen. "Who?" he asked silently._

_"Buddy," Lyla mouthed from where she sat at the kitchen table._

_"Well, Daddy, Jason is home and I'm going to have to get off the phone so I can try and explain to him what you did and why." Lyla hung up the phone without allowing her dad to get in a follow up comment._

_"What's going on?" Jason asked._

_Lyla shook her head and then laid it down on the table. "We should have gone to Vegas, Jason. I know that I mocked you when you suggested it, but we should have done it."_

_"We still can," Jason offered, trying to get a smile out of her. "I'll call the travel agent."_

_Lyla raised her head and looked at him. "You're going to kill him."_

_"I've had a number of years to become immune to Buddy Garrity," Jason replied. "What did he do?"_

_"Pastor Wilkins called this morning—there was a fire at the church and it didn't burn, but there was water damage everywhere. The whole sanctuary is going to be gutted._

_"So, instead of calling us, having us come down and pick another location, he booked something. According to Buddy, there wasn't much left, so he booked the church and had the invitations changed and sent. He said this new church would be stunning—and it is, but it's the German Episcopal church on Washington and it has at least fifteen stone steps up to the front door."_

_"But surely there's a ramp," Jason said, trying to find a silver lining for her._

_"There's a lift—around back. He actually thinks I'm going to come out front after the service and walk down by myself with rose petals being thrown."_

_"You know that he is only focused on you," Jason replied. "I am kind of superfluous to the whole event."_

_"But not to me!" Lyla cried. "I want our nice zero entry Methodist church! I want to walk out of the church with my husband!"_

_And so did he, but a set of steps wasn't going to matter as long as he was married to Lyla._

Jason pulled on the shirt and waited as his dad worked the small buttons. He normally would have chafed at someone helping him get dressed, but he also had to be realistic that there was no way his fingers could maneuver the small buttons on the tux shirt or the bow tie. His dad finished and then reached for the tie. He carefully tied it, then stepped back.

"Very nice," he said. "You ready for your chair?"

Jason nodded as his dad pushed the new chair over. Jason transferred from the bed into the chair as his dad knelt down to help him with the knee support bar. He stood back up and carefully tightened the chest strap.

Jason pressed the button on the right arm rest and the chair slowly moved up until he was standing, facing his dad for the first time in years. "What do you think?" he asked.

There was a tap at the door and then Jason's mom walked in.

She clapped her hands up to her mouth as she smiled. "Oh, you look so handsome, Jason!" She leaned in and kissed him, stopping to straighten his tie. "That jacket works really well. I would have never thought of wearing tails," she said, a tear glimmering in the corner of her eye.

The chair had been his mom's discovery. He had wondered what they should do during the service—he hated the idea of staring up at Lyla or the minister while they said their vows. He had mentioned it to his mom on the phone one day and that evening he found an e-mail with a link to a supply company in Austin that sold the standing chairs.

He pulled on the short cut tux jacket and looked down at himself, feeling a little foreign in the fancy white shirt and white tie, let alone standing in the new wheelchair. It was finally here, his wedding day.

Jason spoke quietly, almost in disbelief. "I'm getting married today." He looked at his mom and his dad—his greatest supporters. They were smiling proudly at him.

"Alright, let's go," he said, shrugging off his emotions as he dropped the chair once again so he could reach the wheels to push. "I wanna see my bride!"

* * *

Lyla stood in front of the floor length mirror, staring at her reflection. She was a stranger, a princess, a girl whose dreams had all come true.

Lyla couldn't believe it was her.

She ran her hands over the delicate crystals sewn on the halter neck bodice. The dress hugged her waist, the smooth satin dropping down into a mermaid-style skirt, embroidered with matching crystals around the hem. There was no train, just the flared skirt—Lyla had been mindful of her dress catching in Jason's wheelchair as they walked down the aisle together.

It was the dress of her dreams. The first one she'd tried on, she hadn't needed to see any others. It was her.

"Oh, honey."

Behind her, Lyla heard her mother stifle a sob. Lyla turned and smiled at her mom.

"No tears, remember?" Lyla said, smiling.

"I know," Pam replied. "It's just…"

"Mom…" Lyla felt herself well up. She didn't want to cry yet. There were still pictures to be taken, and two hours before she could call herself Jason's wife. She wanted to save her tears for the happy moment when the pastor pronounced them husband and wife.

"Let me attach your veil," her mother said, stepping forward with the gauzy fabric in her hand.

Lyla turned back to the mirror, watching as her mother affixed the thin organza to the clip Kevin had placed securely in the knot of loose curls at the base of her neck. Her hair was swept cleanly off her face, gathered at the back where her veil started, falling down to the middle of her back. It was a simple, classic look. She hoped Jason would love it.

Pam ran her hand down Lyla's arm, peering over her daughter's shoulder at their reflection in the mirror.

"I'm so happy for you," Pam said.

Lyla smiled. She knew.

"And I never want you to think I love you any less than Tabby, or Buddy Junior."

"Mom, he's asked you a hundred times to call him BJ." Lyla grinned. It wasn't just out of loyalty to their mom that her brother didn't use their dad's name—he'd been BJ to his friends since high school. Strangely though, only their mother had a hard time making the transition.

"I know, I know," Pam said, smiling. "But Lyla…"

"Mom," Lyla said, turning around to face her mother. She took Pam's hands in her own, pausing as she stared at her mother's emotion-filled face.

"I know you love me. I've never doubted that for a moment. I just need you to respect my love for Dad. I can't be a hypocrite and sit in judgment of him, Mom, 'cause I hurt somebody I love as much as I know Dad still loves you. I won't do it."

"But Lyla, that was so long ago."

Lyla shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Jason meant the world to me back then, you know that. And I almost lost him because of it.

"Maybe Dad doesn't deserve your forgiveness, but I'm going to try really hard to focus on the man he is today. The man that's taking care of himself, and the man that doesn't drink…as much." Lyla laughed, finally eliciting a smile from her mother.

She knew it was harder for Pam to forgive Buddy, or even forget about the ways he'd hurt her, but Lyla didn't need her mother to forgive her father. She just needed her mother to forgive her.

"Do you think we can just agree to disagree on this one?" Lyla asked, smiling gently.

Pam released her hands from Lyla's hold, wiping at a stray tear that slipped from her eye. She nodded. "I'll be civil. And maybe I'll even do that parent's dance thing you talked about."

"Oh Mom, you don't have to…"

"No, no, I want to. I want to do it for you."

"Well," Lyla said. "We aren't sure what kind of music we'll be dancing to, but I'll see what they can play!"

Lyla smiled brightly. She wasn't going to think about it. She knew Tim wouldn't let her and Jason down. She just really hoped he didn't have a lead on some local Dillon bar band that knew all the greatest Hank Williams hits. Lyla couldn't bear it.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go take a few pictures of our own before the photographer gets here," Pam said.

Lyla walked out of the room ahead of her mother, pausing at the top of the stairs to look down into the living room. Julie, Tyra and Tabby looked up at her as she descended, their faces all smiling in awe. This was the way she had pictured her wedding day—a beautiful dress, good fun, enjoying her last hours as a single woman with her closest friends. The problems and the worries could try all they wanted to ruin her day. She'd waited too long for her wedding to let it be destroyed. From now on, things were going to go her way. Or she was going to smile anyway.

* * *

Matt checked his tie in the mirror and turned to face Jason and Tim. They were waiting in the back of the church for Lyla to arrive and the ceremony to begin. Jason was nervously shifting his chair back and forth while Tim leaned back on a folding chair, almost like he could drift off to sleep.

"Should I go find BJ and seat some people?" Matt asked.

"Oh, right," Jason replied, wiping a hand across his brow. "That's what Lyla wanted, wasn't it?"

"Easy, Street," Tim said softly. "It's not a death sentence."

Jason smiled tensely. "I didn't think I'd be this nervous. This is worse than the Paralympics."

Matt grinned. "I puked right before Julie and I…I mean…" Shit. Matt diverted his eyes away from the men. He was not supposed to let their secret slip.

"Before what?" Jason asked.

"You holdin' out on us, Saracen," Tim added.

"Ah…damn," Matt said. Then he clamped a hand over his mouth quickly. You didn't swear in a church!

"I think Jesus'll forgive you," Jason said, laughing.

"I just…" Matt started. Julie was going to be so mad. They had agreed not to tell anyone until after Jason and Lyla's wedding. Both of them were in the wedding party and Jason and Lyla had waited so long to be together. Julie said it wasn't fair to steal the spotlight.

Plus they weren't ready to tell people that they were pregnant yet—not for another few weeks, just to be safe. And they'd rushed the wedding for Coach's sake too—something Eric really didn't want them to share with anyone.

But Jason and Tim weren't stupid. He'd pretty much already told them anyway. Matt sighed and dropped his shoulders.

"I puked before Julie and I got married." He blushed, remembering that day.

_"Do you, Matthew, take this woman, Julie Taylor, to be your wife, to honor and cherish, as long as you both shall live?"_

_Matt looked at Julie, her beautiful face with the gentle curls of her long, thick hair hanging down framing her face. He could not possibly love her more than he did at this moment._

_"I do."_

_"And do you, Julie, take this man, Matthew Saracen, to be your husband, to honor and cherish, as long as you both shall live?"_

_Julie smiled at him and quietly stated, "I do."_

_As though they had planned it, they both turned in tandem to face Julie's parents, Landry and Matt's dad—the only guests at their wedding._

_"With the power vested in me by the state of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."_

_Matt lifted his hand to trace gently along her face, then pulled her close and kissed her longer and more deeply than he ever thought he would in front of Coach Taylor._

_Then his hand dropped down to the gentle round of Julie's growing belly. He never would have dreamed that he could be this lucky._

"Well congratulations, Matty," Jason said, wheeling forward to shake Matt's hand. "Why the big secret?"

Matt accepted Jason's hand then took a seat beside Tim, smiling when Tim clapped him on the shoulder.

"I don't know," Matt said. "There's a lot going on. Your wedding…you know." It was a lame excuse, but Jason seemed too concerned with his pending nuptials to question it.

"You should tell people. Life's too short to keep it a secret," Jason said. "Announce it tonight. Or tomorrow at the brunch. You can celebrate with everyone."

"I don't know…"

"Ask Julie. I know Lyla won't mind."

Matt laughed. He'd heard about how stressed Lyla had been this week. "You sure about that?"

Jason laughed and shared a glance with Tim. "Well maybe let her have tonight. Tell everyone tomorrow."

Matt nodded. "Okay, I'll ask Julie. I think she'll like that, while her parents are in town and everything."

"Alright, done." Jason sat back in his chair. "Now you better get out there before Lyla notices."

Matt stood up. "You comin', Riggins?"

"Free pass," Tim said, gesturing to his cane.

"Fair enough," Matt replied. "I'll be back when everyone's ready."

He walked out of the back room smiling. It would be nice to announce their marriage while all of their friends were gathered together. Especially since Eric was feeling good these days. They could have a proper celebration before he got his test results back next week.

"Hey, there good lookin'."

Matt looked up to see Julie standing in front of him. Wow, she was stunning, with her hair up and the chocolate brown of her dress accentuating the glow of her skin. He let out a low whistle.

"Damn…oops!" Matt reflexively clapped his hand over his mouth. Geez, that was twice in ten minutes and honestly, he wasn't the kind of guy who swore a lot!

Julie chuckled at him. She leaned in closer. "You can't tell, can you?" she asked.

He looked at her and smiled. He could tell that something was different, but it was still early and unless you knew what you were looking for, you couldn't tell that they were expecting a baby.

_"This is ridiculous," Julie hissed, leaning over as she and Matt waited for the nurse to call her back into the doctor's office. "I feel fine."_

_"You don't feel fine," Matt replied. She had been feeling awful for weeks and after what happened with her dad, he wasn't taking any chances. He couldn't say that to her—couldn't express that very real fear out loud—but he could force her to see the doctor._

_"Julie Taylor."_

_Julie stood up and headed toward the nurse who was calling her name. Matt paused for a moment, then stood up, and followed her back into the doctor's office._

_The nurse took her weight and then ushered them into an examination room. She asked a couple of routine questions including the date of Julie's last period. Julie turned and looked at him and shrugged._

_"Valentine's Day?" he guessed. It wasn't hard to forget that slight inconvenience to his plan to give Julie a weekend away._

_The nurse nodded, wrote the date down and smiled. "Have you taken a pregnancy test?" she asked._

_"I have endometriosis," Julie replied. "I'm not pregnant."_

_"Okay," the nurse replied. "Why don't you just come with me for a minute."_

_Matt watched as Julie followed the nurse out into the hall. He picked up the magazine lying on the desk. He flipped through, not paying attention to the ten different ways he could declutter his life, instead waiting for the door to open and Julie to return. After what seemed like an hour she walked back in with the doctor right behind her._

_"Well," Julie began. "It's not leukemia."_

"I think all this wedding stuff is starting to get to me," Matt said as he glanced past her into the church.

Julie looked at him. "You didn't…did you?"

She knew him so well. "I didn't mean to," he stammered. "I was just trying to make Street feel better and, well, I slipped and told him I puked on our day."

"You puked?" she asked.

"Didn't you?" he shot back.

"It's different," she responded as she leaned in close. "I'm pregnant, silly." She pecked his cheek with a quick kiss and stepped back. "It's okay. Tyra figured it out, too."

Matt looked down and smiled. "Couldn't bear to not wear your ring, huh?"

Julie smiled and looked down at the ring. He loved the way she looked at it.

She kissed him again, then stepped back. "I'd better go. Lyla's really starting to get a little wound up."

"I won't tell anyone else," Matt promised.

"Right," Julie teased as she turned and headed toward the bride's room.

He watched her as she moved down the hallway, her long skirt gliding over the floor, barely skimming it. She was so beautiful, almost as beautiful as she had been on their wedding day. He was glad he had told Jason about their wedding, and excited to share the news with everyone tomorrow. Julie deserved that happiness in her life. They all did.

_/tbc/_


	7. Chapter 6

**The Wedding  
Chapter 6**

Jason looked up the aisle at the closed doors at the back of the church. Any minute the doors would open and he'd see Lyla.

He watched as Matt walked his mom down the aisle, his dad following them. His parents sat down, smiling at him. Matt walked past, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder. Jason looked over as Matt lined up between Tim and BJ, so glad they were standing there with him. Tim nodded—like he knew exactly what Jason was thinking.

_Jason sat waiting in the car while his mom picked up their order inside Alamo Freeze. Nothing had changed here since high school—just like most of Dillon._

_A truck pulled up next to him and he looked up as the door opened._

_Tim Riggins._

_He felt a little blush cross his face. Usually when he came to town, Jason at least called Tim to let him know he'd be around, but he hadn't called this time. He hadn't wanted to see anyone, didn't want to have anyone ask him where Lyla was—New York. And she wasn't coming back anytime soon, either. It was her choice to extend her internship; her choice to choose New York and a career over Austin and Jason. He'd shrugged it off when she'd told him the news, agreeing that maybe they'd see where they were in a year. Maybe try again. It had taken a couple of years since the accident, but he knew it was finally over. He wasn't going to wait around for her to come back._

_After her call, Jason had driven down to Dillon for the Memorial Day long weekend. It was a chance to spend time with his parents, but more than that he needed to get away from Austin and the memories of Lyla that still lingered in their apartment there._

_He rolled down the window and offered Tim a small smile._

_"Street," Tim said, as he leaned on his cane._

_"Hey, Tim," Jason replied. "I meant to call, but it's just a quick visit..." His face burned red with embarrassment._

_Tim shrugged. "No worries, man."_

_Jason took in Tim's appearance. He was clearly still relying on the cane pretty heavily to get around and he looked dead in the eyes. Jason felt guilty for not calling Tim more often, or coming to visit him. The last time had been Thanksgiving, when Tim was home but Billy was still in the hospital. It had been a depressing visit. There had been none of their easy banter to break the tension. Jason had left after only 30 minutes and felt badly about it for days._

_He cleared his throat and glanced back at the restaurant. There was no sign of his mom yet. He looked back at Tim who was just standing there, staring at the ground._

_"So, ah...how are you? Billy?" Jason asked._

_"You know," Tim replied as he finally looked up to meet Jason's eyes. "Billy's home now."_

_"Really?" Jason responded. Either Billy had improved more than the grapevine had let on or Tim was taking on the role of the martyr. Jason was pretty sure he knew which it was. "I thought..." Jason let his voice trail off. What was he supposed to say? I thought Billy was a lost cause?_

_"I wasn't sending him to a home," Tim said, his voice tight._

_Jason winced and looked away. He really wasn't part of Tim's life anymore; didn't quite fit._

_But maybe it didn't have to be that way. "What're you doing now?" He gestured towards the restaurant. "You know Mom always gets way more than we can eat—just in case somebody stops by."_

_Tim followed Jason's gaze towards the restaurant. "Don't do me any favors, Street."_

_Tim's words stung. "It's just dinner," Jason replied._

_"Yeah, well, the aide is only watching Billy until I get home," Tim said._

_Jason looked over at his friend. How had they gotten here? They didn't used to be like this. Even after he and Lyla got back together and things weren't great between him and Tim, they weren't this awkward._

_"Can you call her? Cause, it'd be good to talk." Jason paused. He didn't want to dump on Tim, but he really needed someone, anyone, who might have some sense of what he was feeling._

_"Not really into being the third wheel." Tim's eyes were dark. Was he thinking about their past too?_

_"Lyla's in New York," Jason said. He shifted in his seat, his eyes flitting from Tim to the store and back again. "Permanently."_

_Tim looked straight at Jason and for a minute Jason thought he saw a flash of the old Tim cross his face. "Sorry, Street."_

_"Yeah," Jason said. And what else was there to say? That it was bound to happen—that it had been coming since that night on the field when he had hit the kid from Westerby?_

_"Tyra took off too," Tim offered._

_Ah, so it was empathy. Damn, they were pathetic—two broken down nineteen year olds dumped by the girls who'd promised to love them no matter what._

_"So, come over, we'll drown our sorrows together," Jason offered._

_Tim shook his head and suddenly looked uncomfortable. "I don't think so. I gotta go."_

_Jason watched as Tim got back in his truck and took off. Tim couldn't have moved faster if he had two good legs._

_"Was that Tim?" his mom asked as she opened the door to the van and climbed into the driver's seat as Tim's truck pulled out of the parking lot._

_"Uh, yeah," Jason answered. He looked over his shoulder as the truck disappeared down the road. Tim hadn't even gone inside to pick up some food. He tuned out as his mom asked why he hadn't invited Tim over._

_What had happened to them? Would they ever be friends again? His heart ached as he thought about all the loss—Tim, Lyla. It was almost too much to bear all at once. He just wanted his best friends back. When he thought back on the last time that he had felt carefree, it was the night before that fateful game. Texas Forever. He wanted it all back._

Jason smiled at Tim. Getting Lyla back in his life probably wouldn't have happened without Tim. Sure, they might have figured it out eventually, but Tim's gentle teasing at the reunion last spring had helped. And seeing Tim with Jake had made Jason think about becoming a father someday; about having children with a woman that meant the world to him.

He looked down the aisle as the organist started to play the processional music. This was it. He and Lyla had waited so long—longer than either of them had ever counted on and even though neither one of them could figure out why all the delays had happened, Jason knew it didn't matter anymore.

He loved her and she was going to be his wife for the rest of their lives. Texas forever indeed.

* * *

Buddy looked nervous standing at the doorway to the church. Lyla watched as he fingered the edge of his tux and looked out over the crowd gathered to celebrate her wedding.

Lyla reached down and touched the satin of the dress. It seemed so unreal that this day was finally here.

"You ready, honey?"

She looked over at her dad and smiled. "I am, Daddy."

"I love you baby girl. And he's a good man."

She peeked out through the doorway and caught a glance of Jason waiting for her at the altar. He looked nervous—and excited. Her dad was right. He was a good man. He'd been so patient and loved her for so long, no matter what. She turned and looked at her father. She loved him and felt safe with him by her side.

She watched as Julie and Tyra walked up the aisle. Jake was next, looking solemn with the rings on his pillow. Tabby followed and then it was Lyla's turn. She took a deep breath as the organ changed to the bride's processional. This was it.

"Okay, let's go," her dad said as he held out his arm. She hooked her arm through his and stepped through the doorway. She saw Jason for a brief second, then the congregation stood and Jason was lost from her view. She was so nervous. Had he seen her? Was he as excited as she was?

She felt like she was floating down the aisle, all the people in their lives watching as she walked toward Jason. At the top of the aisle, Jason reappeared in her view. His eyes were locked on hers, his face beaming. He smiled and nodded his head, silently telling her to keep coming, to be next to him and become his wife.

She paused as they reached her mom, stopping to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"You look beautiful," her mom whispered.

Jason wheeled forward as Lyla moved closer, still on her dad's arm. She looked at the altar, searching for the chair they had talked about her sitting in during the ceremony. She had told Jason over and over that she wanted to be facing him while they professed their vows. And it wasn't there. She felt her face fall. Of course something else was going wrong.

She looked at Jason for support, but instead of looking upset, he was rising up to meet her—he was standing. It took her a moment to realize it was the chair that was lifting him, that he was braced, but that he was standing, looking at her.

"Surprise," he said, quietly, but loud enough that the congregation could hear and there was a low chuckle from several people.

"Wow," she replied. He never stopped to amaze her—he was always thinking of ways they could make things work.

"Are we ready to start?" the pastor asked.

"Yes," Lyla and Jason replied in unison.

The pastor smiled, then began, "Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Jason and Lyla a very important moment in their lives. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

Tami stood up and walked to the lectern. "The Wedding Prayer by Robert Lewis Stevenson," she began.

_Lord, behold our family here assembled.  
We thank you for this place in which we dwell,  
for the love that unites us,  
for the peace accorded us this day,  
for the hope with which we expect the morrow,  
for the health, the work, the food,  
and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;  
for our friends in all parts of the earth.  
Amen_

Jason looked over as the pastor began speaking. He tried to concentrate on the words that told the story of how he and Lyla had faced their challenges together and separate, but he didn't have to really listen because he knew it all. All he had to do was look in her eyes and know that they were meant to find each other again.

"Jason and Lyla, you have made this journey together and now before you promise your lives to one another, I want to remind you that marriage is a voluntary decision and that you choose today to commit to one another to the exclusion of all others. You should enter into this marriage with the desire, hope and intent that it will last for all of your lives.

"You have chosen to write your own vows. These vows are your promise to each other.

"Jason," the pastor began.

Jason paused, took a deep breath and looked down at the sheet of paper that Tim had slipped into his hand. He didn't want to read his vows, he wanted to recite them. He let the paper fall to the floor, instead reaching out to take Lyla's hand within his.

"Lyla, when we were younger, and to be honest, a bit more stupid, I did and said things that I regret, but when I told you as a boy that I have loved you since I first met you, it was the truth.

"I feel lucky that as a man I was able to come to know that the best thing that could ever happen to me was standing right in front of me. Lyla Garrity, I take you to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Lyla brushed away a tear that was forming in the corner of her eye. "I promised I wouldn't cry!" she said, her voice breaking slightly. She took a deep breath and began.

"When I was young, there were stories in the bible that I read over and over. I read the story of Ruth and her words are forever in my mind. Jason, I give you Ruth's promise as my promise.

"_Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me._

"I know that we can't know if the times ahead of us will be good or bad—I know we must prepare for them to be both, but I think we've seen what the bad can look like and I trust you to be my partner. Jason Street, I take you to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before."

Lyla's thumb brushed across the back of Jason's hand. Tears slipped from her eyes, running down her cheeks, but her voice remained strong. Jason reached across and brushed them from her face with his curled hand.

She continued, "I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

She smiled as she finished, and he felt his heart soar. Just hearing her say the words made it all real. They were finally, after so many wrong turns, getting it all right.

The pastor turned to Jake to ask for the rings. Jason grinned as Jake stepped forward; the pillow Lyla had carefully selected hanging loosely from one hand. Luckily the real rings were in Tim's pocket—Jake had a gorgeous set of fakes sewn to his pillow though. Tim took the pillow from his son while reaching in his pocket to produce their wedding bands. The pastor accepted them in his open Bible and turned back to Lyla and Jason.

As practiced, Lyla selected her ring from the Bible and placed it carefully in Jason's open palm. Then the pastor instructed Jason to repeat after him.

"Lyla, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love; and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Lyla slid her finger into the ring on Jason's palm. Letting him guide it as much as possible into her finger, she adjusted it herself, then reached for the matching band.

"Jason, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love; and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

She slipped the ring into Jason's finger, pausing to squeeze his hand tightly before turning back to the pastor.

The pastor smiled at them, then looked out at the congregation of their friends and family gathered to celebrate their union.

"Jason and Lyla, by their promises before God and in the presence of this assembly, have joined themselves to one another as husband and wife. Those whom God has joined together let no one separate."

The congregation said in unison, "Amen. Thanks be to God."

"Ladies and Gentleman," the pastor continued. "It is my pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs..." He stopped suddenly. Jason looked from the pastor to Lyla, her face ashen. Then the pastor gave a little grin and cleared his throat.

"Jason and Lyla Street! You may kiss the bride!"

Applause washed over them as everyone rose to the feet and cheered. Behind Lyla, Jason could see Tabby wiping her eyes. Even Julie and Tyra had tears on their faces. Lyla leaned in to kiss him again, a sob bubbling to the surface as she pulled away. Then Jason felt Tim's hand on his shoulder and turned to look at his friend, beaming.

"Way to go, Street," Tim said, grinning at Jason.

Jason nodded, unable to find the words to express how he felt at this exact moment. Pressing a button on his wheelchair, he slowly lowered himself back into a seated position, shifting his body slightly before releasing the brakes.

"Ready, Mrs. Street?" he asked, smiling up at Lyla.

"Ready, Mr. Street," she replied, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jason wheeled his chair around to face the congregation, and then paused as Lyla climbed onto his lap. She slung her arm around his neck and Jason pushed toward the aisle. Friends and family members placed hands on their shoulders as they passed, all gleeful to see the couple finally united as one. They stopped in the entryway of the church, greeting the endless line of guests that paraded past them, each stopping to offer congratulations.

When the last person had exited, Jason looked up at Lyla. "So is this where we make our big exit?" he asked, glancing down at the imposing stairs leading to the parking lot. He could see people milling at the bottom, Buddy right in the center, looking up at them, waiting for something—maybe a big miracle to suddenly cure him so he could walk down those steps with Lyla.

"Did you hear me in the church?" Lyla asked. "I go where you go..."

"Come on, then," Jason said, turning around to head back into the church. "I've got a surprise for them."

* * *

Outside, Buddy made sure the limo was parked front and center, doors open awaiting his daughter's arrival down the stairs. As soon as Jason had made his way down the ramp and around the side of the church, they would leave for the hall. They were right on schedule too. Another successful Garrity Motors, er...Buddy Garrity sponsored event.

He turned to look at the church doors, shocked to see that the door had closed. Where was Lyla? Had he missed her?

He looked around the crowd, but no one seemed fazed other than him. Tami Taylor was handing out little bottle of bubbles to the crowd. What was the point of bubbles if there was no one to blow them at?

Buddy headed for the steps, hurrying up towards the doors to find Lyla and escort her down properly. He was halfway up when a cheer from the crowd stopped him. He stopped, his hand on the railing, and looked down at the grass leading beside the church. There, on the uneven terrain leading from the rear of the church and the wheelchair accessible exit, was his daughter in her beautiful wedding dress. She was picking her way across the pebbles and grass, walking beside Jason who was straining to push himself along.

They looked completely out of place and awkward. Not the elegant exit he had planned and dreamed of.

And yet, they were smiling.

Buddy stood still as Tami and the bridesmaids rushed toward Jason and Lyla, blowing bubbles and laughing as Lyla took a seat in Jason's lap and let two of her cousins push them onto the smoother pavement. She looked so happy, positively beaming.

Buddy grinned and walked back down the steps. His baby girl had become a woman to be proud of. And he was...he certainly was.

_/tbc/_

We hope you're enjoying the story so far--we'd love to have your review of the story. Thanks! - Rachel and Shelbecat


	8. Chapter 7

**The Wedding  
Chapter 7**

Landry looked up from the stage where he was adjusting his microphone. Filling in last minute for a wedding was one thing, but doing it without roadies was a completely different matter. He'd ask for twice their regular rate, but in a fit of insanity he had told Lyla it was his wedding gift so they weren't even getting anything for the gig—except he had neglected to tell the band that, so now not only wasn't he getting anything, but he'd be paying the rest of the guys out of his pocket.

Landry Clarke loved Lyla Garrity.

Or something like that.

As Buddy Garrity pulled on his tux jacket and ambled up to the head table, Landry paused. Okay, this could be worth the price of admission.

"As y'all know, I wasn't always sure it was the best idea for my daughter to marry a..."

Oh god, he wasn't going to say it, was he? C'mon, Buddy...save yourself!

"...a quarterback," Buddy recovered as the crowd laughed, dare he say, uncomfortably?

"But, I see how damned happy Jason makes my little girl and how could I say no?"

Say no? To your grown daughter? Sure.

"To Jason and Lyla!"

Landry raised up his Crown and Coke. Damn, it was almost gone. He might just need another one.

"Well, we weren't that sure about our son marrying..." Jason's dad began, winking at Jason and Lyla.

Landry couldn't stop a laugh from snorting out of his mouth. Several people turned to see where the noise was coming from, but he ducked down behind the drum cases.

"Seriously, even though she's Buddy Garrity's daughter..."

Landry winced—he didn't?

At the microphone, Mitch was winking and tossing Buddy a smile. Jeez, these people really needed a course in public speaking.

"...we're delighted to have Lyla in our family," Mitch continued. "We couldn't have wished for a better daughter. To Mr. and Mrs. Street!"

Landry took another long drink and waited for the next toasting victim. He snuck another sip while Tim slowly made his way from his seat next to Jason to the microphone.

"In high school, we used to joke that the three of us would set up a big hunting ranch and live out there all year. Jay and Lyla are in Austin, not too many ranches up there last time I checked, and I'm not even in Texas...how did that happen?"

Everybody laughed.

"You just call me when you're ready to set it up and I'll come be the caretaker. Just like I promised," Tim continued as he looked over at Jason, who held up his glass of wine in a toast of affirmation.

How classically Tim, Landry thought as he took another sip of his drink. Then he watched as Tim walked back to take his seat next to Tyra. She didn't look like she was as big a fan of the hunting ranch.

'Specially not a hunting ranch for Tim, Jason and Lyla...no, that wasn't in the Tyra Collette plan at all, was it?

That roast in high school should have been the last time anyone let Tim Riggins in front of a live mic.

Landry looked over at Tyra again and flashed her a smile. There was no flash of smile in response.

When she was done with Tim Riggins, he was going to wish he was on that hunting ranch—as the bait.

* * *

Lyla walked up to Julie as the cleaning staff started clearing the tables. "Julie! You got a minute?"

Julie turned and smiled tiredly at the bride. There were probably more pictures or another long lost relative to accept a song request from. She really didn't mind being a bridesmaid, but when she'd accepted she didn't expect to be almost three months pregnant. She was so tired. She could really use a nap.

"Hey, sure," Julie replied, mustering a smile.

"I've been trying to get a minute alone with you all evening. How could you not tell me?" Lyla's voice was serious, but she was smiling, clearly not upset.

"Uh..." Julie started.

Lyla reached out and flipped Julie's left hand over, pointing to her ring. "That's a wedding band, isn't it? I knew it!"

Julie was taken aback when Lyla suddenly grabbed her in a hug, squashing Julie's bouquet between them.

"Um, yes?" Julie said tentatively, leaning back as Lyla released her. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Well, it's your day, and we didn't want to take anything away from you and Jason."

"Julie," Lyla said, shaking her head. "I know I've been a bit of a bridezilla this past week, but I'm happy for you and Matt. You've waited so long for this, and with everything that happened last year, with your dad..." Her voice trailed off, her face still shining with excitement.

Julie tried to keep smiling and accepting the congratulations, but the mention of her Dad brought a sudden rush of tears to her eyes. She tried to wipe them away quickly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Lyla placed a hand on her shoulder. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I just..." Julie shook her head, the tears falling quickly from her eyes and dripping onto her dress.

"Come here," Lyla instructed, placing her arm around Julie and leading her towards a quieter corner of the room. She grabbed a box of tissues off a nearby table and held them out to Julie. "What is it? What happened?"

"It's my dad." Julie wiped her eyes, hiccupping as she tried to explain things to Lyla. She'd tried to respect her father's wishes to keep his illness quiet, but when she'd met Lyla in the hospital last summer, she had blurted it out before she could stop herself. After that they had talked on the phone a few times, just to check on each other, and it had felt great to have someone besides her parents and Matt to talk things over with.

But she hadn't told anyone about her father's relapse in March. That she'd managed to keep private, and it was killing her.

"He's doing better, but the cancer came back, a few months ago. We thought everything was going to be okay, and we were going to start fertility treatments soon, but then he was back in the hospital and we were so preoccupied with everything that we weren't even trying."

Julie stopped and looked up at Lyla, smiling shyly. "I'm pregnant. 10 weeks."

"Oh my God! Julie!" Lyla hugged her tightly, rubbing her hands across Julie's back.

"We're not ready to tell people yet, it's still early. But being here and seeing everyone...it's hard to keep it all quiet."

"Of course, you should share this with your friends. You don't have to tell them about your dad if you don't want to." Lyla looked genuinely concerned for her. "How is he now?"

"Better. He just finished radiation a few weeks ago. Just before we got married. As soon as he was well enough to travel down here, we planned a little ceremony. Just in our house, our families and Landry." Julie smiled, remembering the quiet ceremony and dinner afterwards. "We wanted to do it while he was well and before the baby came." She raised her hand to place it on her stomach. "I can hardly believe it."

"You deserve it. You and Matt. You've been through so much," Lyla said.

"I know." Julie nodded and looked over to where her father stood talking to Jason. "I just hope he's around to enjoy his grandbaby for a long while."

* * *

Jason looked around to see where Lyla had gone. There were so many friends and family to talk to, it was almost overwhelming and his mom kept coming over and reminding him to eat something. He wasn't worried about himself, but he was pretty sure that Lyla hadn't eaten anything all day.

He lifted his chair back into stand mode and scanned the room. It was such a surreal experience to be on eye level with everyone again. He had arranged to loan the chair from his supplier in Austin, but he was halfway tempted to buy one for regular use.

She was over in the corner—in deep conversation with Julie Taylor, or was that Julie Saracen now? He watched as the women talked, Lyla was laughing and hugging Julie, but then things seemed to turn serious. Lyla pulled Julie into a deep hug and led her to a far corner of the room. Something was wrong. Was Julie crying?

"Nice wedding."

Jason turned his head to see that Coach Taylor had walked up while he was watching Julie and Lyla.

"Thanks," Jason replied, holding out his hand to shake the coach's outstretched hand. He glanced back at his wife and her friend again. "I heard you had a wedding of your own to celebrate. Congratulations."

Eric laughed. "So, you heard about that?"

"I'm assuming you're happy," Jason replied. "I mean, about the marriage."

The coach nodded. "Yeah, Tami and I really love Matt and we love seeing Julie so happy."

Jason looked back over where Julie and Lyla were still engaged in a serious conversation. Julie was wiping tears from her eyes while Lyla rubbed slow circles on her back. "She doesn't look so happy tonight." Jason turned and looked at Eric. "What's really going on?"

"Nothing," Eric replied, shrugging. "Probably just wedding day excitement. You know how girls are."

Jason studied his old coach, thinking back over the past few days. First Eric had told him he was leaving coaching for a desk job, and then Buddy had insisted Eric only play the back nine. "No, something's going on. You're sick, aren't you?"

Eric ran his hand over his face, pushing his hair back slightly in a nervous gesture that Jason had seen him do so many times on the field. "Nah, I'm fine."

Jason looked back at the girls and then to Coach Taylor. He remembered Lyla running into Julie in Dallas while Buddy was there for his heart surgery. Lyla had told him that Eric had been in for a few tests—what a coincidence. Jason had brushed it off as just that, a coincidence, but now he didn't believe it. Something was wrong. "I'm not buying it. And it's been going on since last summer, hasn't it?"

The coach didn't answer.

"So, it's bad, huh?" Jason asked. "Did Lyla know about it?"

Eric shrugged. "We're not sure if it's bad or not. And as for Lyla, I don't know what she knew or didn't. She and Julie ran into each other at the hospital when Buddy was having his heart surgery and I was having treatments."

Jason shook his head. "Are you okay? Why wouldn't she..."

Eric reached over and put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "We didn't want anyone to know. I was pretty hard on Matt and Julie about not telling people and if Julie told Lyla anything, I'm sure she made her promise the same. Don't hold this against Lyla."

"What's wrong with you?" Jason asked quietly. "You're not going into the athletic office because of a promotion, are you?"

Eric looked down at his feet, then back up at Jason. "I have leukemia and it responded pretty well with a couple courses of chemo, but it flared up again this spring and I just finished a round of radiation. I'm not coaching again this season at Northern Texas. I...I may be looking at a transplant this fall and I can't just leave them in a bind."

Jason shook his head. Coach Taylor, the man who'd led him up through so many years of football and had always been there to offer a kind word or bit of advice. He seemed invincible. How could he have cancer?

Across the room, Jason saw Tami talking to his parents. Eric followed his gaze and then looked back to smile at Jason. "Actually, we're expecting a grandchild, so I think we're going to just move back down here and enjoy what we have goin' already."

"A baby? Matt didn't say..."

"I shouldn't have said anything either," Eric said, laughing. "It's early, and you know how hard it was for them. They'll probably tell people in a couple of weeks. But I just can't keep it inside."

Jason nodded, looking back to where Lyla was hugging Julie, a smile finally gracing Julie's face. How could Lyla keep all of this from him? Eric was his coach, his friend—he deserved to know something so serious.

"Don't be angry at her, son."

Jason looked up at Eric's unsolicited response to Jason's obvious anger.

"Remember this, Jason—in a marriage and in a family, you need to balance things. Sometimes work needs to come first and sometimes work doesn't matter a lick and your family is the only thing you should be thinkin' about.

"You keep Lyla as your focus. You love her and you remember that sometimes love is going to be really easy and sometimes it's going to be hard. But through it all, you know that the only thing that matters is the two of you."

"I'm so sorry, Coach. You deserve better than this," Jason said.

Eric grew serious, his lower lip trembling slightly. Then he reached out and wrapped his arms around Jason, Jason lifting his arms as best he could to return the embrace.

"I've got everything I ever could have asked for outta life, you remember that." He pulled away and stared straight into Jason's eyes. "You're like a son to me, Jason. And I'm just so damned proud of you."

Jason felt his emotions overwhelm him. How could Coach Taylor be so kind when he was dealing with so much? How did a person find it in themselves to be so selfless?

"Thank you, Coach. Thanks."

* * *

"Okay, I'm going to need the bride and the groom up here!" Landry shouted into the microphone.

Lyla looked over and Jason and smiled. He crossed the room from where he had been talking to friends from college.

"I believe you requested a song," he said.

She smiled as Landry and the band played the opening bars. Lyla carefully sat down on his lap and he pushed them out into the middle of the floor as the band continued to play.

_I've been searching a long time  
For someone exactly like you  
I've been traveling all around the world  
Waiting for you to come through.  
Someone like you makes it  
All worth while  
Someone like you keeps me satisfied.  
Someone exactly like you_

Lyla looped her arm around Jason's neck and pulled him close into a deep kiss. The day had been completely perfect.

Tim walked up behind Tyra and ran his hand across the base of her neck. "Hey gorgeous," he said.

She stiffened and moved away from him, bringing her hand up to rub the spot where he had touched her neck.

"Don't call me that," she said.

"Why not?" Unfazed, Tim leaned down to graze her shoulder with his mouth. "When I saw you walk up that aisle..."

Tyra twisted away from him quickly, hugging her arms tight across her chest.

He straightened. She'd been acting off all night, mostly avoiding him and spending time with old friends—dancing with other people since he couldn't dance himself. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tyra replied tightly. "Everything's just fine."

Tim nodded and looked away. She didn't seem fine.

"I just," Tyra started. She huffed and turned to look over the people dancing and enjoying themselves.

"Did you know Julie and Matt got married?" she finally asked, turning back to look at him.

"Yeah," Tim said. "Saracen let it slip."

Tyra nodded, chewing her lower lip. "And now Jason and Lyla, hell, even Tabby's married. She's what? Like 23?"

Where was this coming from? Tyra had seemed happy about the wedding. She'd spent hours on the phone with Lyla and Julie planning different events and whatever girl-things they were up to while Tim hung out with Billy and Jason. Now she was acting all offended that their friends had gotten married.

"You suddenly got something against marriage?" Tim asked.

Tyra looked like she wanted to slap him.

"No," she hissed, her eyes darkening. "I think marriage is a blessed event between two people who really love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together. Don't you?"

Tim's eyes widened and he leaned back slightly. She was pissed, but he had no idea about what.

"Why don't you get a drink? Relax?"

"I don't need a drink. You think I can't relax without a glass of wine in my hand?"

Now Tim was just irritated. "You know what, Tyra? How about you just tell me what your problem is instead of getting angry at me for tryin' to understand."

"My problem, Tim, is that all of our friends seem to be getting their lives together while we are stuck in date-mode, or haven't you noticed."

Tim shrugged. He knew she wanted to get married, so did he...eventually. But he didn't think they had to rush anything. They'd just moved in together, and life had been so hectic between his surgery and her being out on tour with Landry. He wanted to ask her when the time was right—when he could properly get down on one knee and propose the way she'd want him too. He was already planning it.

_"Okay, so when the sales lady asks you what price range you are looking in, you tell her 500 less than you have to spend, okay?"_

_Tim furrowed his brow and looked from the display case of glittering diamonds up to Julie and back down._

_"Okay," he replied. Then he looked up at her again. "Why?"_

_Julie sighed, shaking her head and smiling at him like he was a child. "Because she is going to upsell you no matter what. If you want to walk out of here with a ring you can actually afford, you have to start cheap." She placed a hand on his arm. "Trust me on this."_

_Tim nodded and looked back at the array of engagement rings before him. He'd called Julie the night before and asked if she had any recommendations about where to shop for rings in Dillon. He was in town for a week without Tyra before Jason and Lyla's wedding and wanted to have the ring bought and paid for before she arrived. Julie had taken approximately half a second to think about it and then announced she was coming with him. He'd tried to protest, but secretly he was relived that she was here. He didn't know when he was going to propose, or how, but it felt like the time was coming, and he wanted to buy a ring while he had someone to run his choices past. He couldn't mess it up too bad with a friend of Tyra's to guide him._

_"So, do you have any ideas about what you'd like?" Julie asked. "Has she ever talked about style?"_

_There was a style of ring? "Uh...that looks nice." Tim pointed to a simple gold band with a row of small diamonds._

_"Yes, yes it does," Julie replied. "It's also a wedding ring girls wore ten years ago." She held his elbow and turned him towards another case. "Personally I think these are gorgeous."_

_The rings weren't gold, and the diamonds were odd shapes—squares and triangles. Was that what girls liked?_

_He saw a silver ring with three diamonds raised along the surface. "Maybe..." he said, pointing._

_Julie sighed, almost inaudibly, but Tim heard her. He was getting it all wrong._

_"Let me ask you something," she said. "Do you want a ring that you like, or one that Tyra likes?"_

_"Tyra," Tim answered surely._

_"Perfect. So when you think Tyra and jewelry, do you think simple and understated?" Julie's voice was wavering, like that was definitely the wrong choice. "Or do you think 'flash'. Look at my ring!" Her voice rose slightly, her face breaking into a bright smile._

_Tim ducked his head away and smiled at the counter. Julie was right—Tyra loved jewelry and the pieces he'd seen her wear weren't exactly small, although as far as he knew they weren't expensive either. But this was once in a lifetime, right? She deserved a ring that she would wear proudly._

_"Okay, how about..." His finger ran over the glass, trying to choose a ring to settle on._

_Julie leaned into him, gently pushing his arm to the left, directly over a collection of solitary diamonds sticking straight up from simple silver bands._

_He looked at them for a minute, then saw the ring he knew had to buy standing out clearly. It was a silverish band, maybe white gold, with a square diamond raised high atop it. He pointed at it._

_"That's it."_

_Julie knelt down and looked through the front of the glass. "White gold, princess cut one carat." She looked up, grinning. "And right in your price range."_

_Tim stared down through the glass at the ring. At Tyra's ring. It didn't matter if it was twice as much as he'd planned to pay. It was the ring he was going to propose with, and it was perfect._

"You know we're going to get married some day." He wasn't ready to propose right here and now. She was being ridiculous.

"Maybe it seems like everyone else is already married, but so what? I don't see the big deal," he continued.

She looked tense, wound-up. "I know you don't, Tim," she finally said. Her shoulders collapsed, sadness taking over where anger just was. "And, really, isn't that the bigger problem?"

Tyra moved to slip past him. Tim reached out to grab her arm. He didn't want her to walk away angry.

"Let me go," she said, pausing, but not looking at him.

Slowly, Tim released his hold on her and she slipped away into the crowd. He turned around and saw the bar just behind him. Slowly, he walked up to it, leaning against the wood to take some of the weight off his leg.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked.

Tim closed his eyes. He couldn't believe that had just happened. And he with an engagement ring upstairs in their hotel room right now. "A coke," he finally replied.

"You want any rum in that?" a voice interjected.

Tim looked up to see Buddy sidling up to him. "Come on, son. This is a happy day. My little girl just got married. Let me buy you a drink."

"Uh, it's an open bar, Mr. Garrity," Tim said, trying to dodge the invite.

"And who do you think is paying for it," Buddy replied, laughing loudly.

Tim grinned and straightened up, ready to refuse the offer again. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Tyra. She was talking animatedly to someone across the room, her hands flying wildly about her head. Tim frowned as he watched her; frustrated that she was angry when all she needed to do was just talk to him.

He watched as she dropped her arms to her sides, and then seemed to crumble against the person in front of her. A pair of arms wrapped around her, cradling her to their body. Tyra leaned forward and Tim saw her friend clearly—Landry.

Of course. One sign of trouble and she went running back to Landry.

Buddy was still beside him, ordering a double shot of rum for Tim's non-alcoholic drink. "You set this boy up now, you hear?" Buddy instructed the bartender.

The bartender looked at Tim for confirmation. Tim shook his head quickly. "No thanks, Mr. Garrity."

Buddy looked affronted. He drummed his hands on the bar impatiently.

Tim chanced a glance over his shoulder. Landry had his arm firmly around Tyra's shoulders and was leading her out of the room. Tim set his mouth firmly and looked back at Buddy.

His voice was clear and strong when he spoke. "Actually, I'll have a beer."

_/tbc/_


	9. Chapter 8

**The Wedding  
Chapter 8**

Tim always did like the taste of beer. Most of the guys in high school drank it because it was easy to get someone to buy it for them at the mini-mart. But Tim had his choice of liquor at home, and parents who were rarely sober enough to notice if he borrowed a little.

He just enjoyed beer—the taste, the sensation, the welcome numbness. Holding the bottle in his hand tonight felt like a long lost friend coming back to him.

Thankfully Buddy had moved on to some other lonely soul at the bar after he'd set Tim up with his drink. Tim had taken the opportunity to escape, walking outside and finding a bench along the side of the hotel. It was secluded and quiet. He laid the beer bottle on the bench beside him and stared at it.

To drink or not to drink.

Condensation had wetted his palm, the familiar weight of a just opened bottle feeling just right in his grip. He fingered the neck now, running his hand along the smooth surface. Taking a sip would be so easy. No would ever find out; no one had to know.

Except he would know.

Giving up drinking hadn't really been a choice. He'd made a horrible mistake and he deserved to be punished. If it hadn't been for Jay talking him out of spilling his guts to the police, he might still be paying for the accident with jail time. Instead, he'd carried the burden of that night silently for years, only finally coming clean to those closest to him a year ago.

No one understood what it felt like to be responsible for the destruction of another life. Sure, Billy had it pretty good now. He was living on his own, or away from Tim at least, and seemed happy here in Dillon. But every time Tim looked at him he couldn't help but see the life Billy could have had. The life he would have had if Tim hadn't driven that morning; if Tim hadn't been drunk behind the wheel.

Quickly, without thinking, he reached over and tipped the bottle upside down. The beer foamed and fizzed on the ground, tiny rivulets streaking away from Tim's feet towards the hotel's flower gardens.

Maybe it would make good fertilizer.

Satisfied that he'd removed the temptation, he stood up and walked determinedly back into the hotel. He had something he had to get in his room—then he had to find Tyra.

* * *

Landry hurried back into the reception hall. Their break was only for twenty minutes and he'd already spent fifteen calming and consoling Tyra. If he thought there was actually substance to her hysterics, he'd be in Tim's face about marrying the girl right and proper. But Tim and Tyra, despite all of Landry's prayers, were just meant to be. He could see it in Tyra's eyes even while she was crying. She loved the poor bastard, and he loved her.

Sometimes it made him sick.

The bar was crowded with half-drunk relatives but Landry managed to squeeze in at the end and catch the bartender's attention. His drink of the night, Crown and coke, was in his hands quickly. He took a welcome sip as he turned to head back to the band area.

"Thought you were some big shot country star?" a voice teased him.

Landry stopped and glanced around quickly. He grinned and took another, slower, sip of his drink as he saw Smash sauntering towards him. Smash's even more famous boyfriend was walking beside him.

"You hard up for a gig, Clarke?" Smash said as reached out to shake Landry's hand.

Landry shook his hand. "Just doing a favor for the bride. Well, the best man, actually." He still couldn't believe he'd let Tim talk him into this. Landry was a certifiable doormat.

"Leave it to Riggs to call in the big guns," Smash replied. He turned to the man standing beside him. "Landry Clarke, Kevin Parisi."

"Nice to meet you," Landry said, offering his hand. "This your first time in Dillon?"

"Yes, Brian talks about it often, but this is the first time we've been able to get back. It's so charming!" Kevin replied.

Landry covered his grin with a really long sip of his drink. Smash Williams dating a flamer—not even Landry saw that one coming.

"So Landry," Kevin continued. "Brian tells me we've got you to thank for bringing him out of the closet?"

Landry's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're putting that one on me, Smash." He laughed and smiled broadly. "I think I just pointed out there were worse things than being shamed by your whole town."

"Sure, Landry," Smash said. "Because Dillon hates country music stars who just happen to be gay. They like you more now than they did back in high school."

"Same for you, Mr. MVP," Landry shot back.

Smash smiled. It was true—being gay had done little to hurt Smash's career, despite the fears Landry knew were well-founded. The papers had been rough on him in the beginning, but when the Jets won the SuperBowl last year, and Smash was awarded MVP, his personal life suddenly wasn't as interesting as his football career.

"Do you mind if I slip away for a quick sec?" Kevin said suddenly. "I think I see the bride's veil slipping. Can't have a disaster!"

Landry couldn't help himself this time. He snorted and ducked his face into his glass as Kevin squeezed Smash's hand and slipped into the crowd.

"Don't even start," Smash warned. But there was a smile on his face.

"Hey," Landry replied, acting innocent. "I told you to give it six months. Things look a lot different now, I'm sure. I just didn't think you'd be bringing a date to the wedding. That's brave, Smash. Kudos."

"And what about you? You dating anyone?"

Landry sobered. He had been so busy figuring out where he fit into Tyra and Jake's new life, and with Tim Riggins as his new roommate...he'd put his personal life on hold for a full year. And no one had asked him to—he just wasn't being fair to himself.

"I've been...I guess I've been figuring some things out this past year."

"Yeah? You still shacked up with Tyra? Or Riggs steal her away from you yet?"

Landry buried himself in his drink. How did he put his feelings for Tyra into words? It wasn't love—not in the 'I want you to be my one and only' way. But goddamnit if he didn't love Tyra more than he'd loved anyone else in his life, ever. Except, possibly, for Jake. He was pathetic.

"Hey, man," Smash said, nudging his shoulder lightly. "Did I hit a sore spot?"

"Nah." Landry shrugged. "Tim moved in with Tyra, and me, a few months back. But, I think I'm moving out soon. You know, three's a crowd and all that."

Smash nodded slowly. "That's rough, Landry."

"Yeah, well...what are you gonna do?"

Smash was quiet for a moment, looking around the room. Finally he spoke, "Listen, why don't you come up to New York some weekend. Maybe if your tour comes up that way? We could show you the town."

Landry smiled. He wasn't hurting for friends in Nashville, although the gay scene did leave a little to be desired. Maybe a weekend away was what he needed. It couldn't hurt to give Tim and Tyra some space in either case.

"You know, Smash, I just might take you up on that."

Smash clapped Landry's shoulder hard. "You do that, Landry. I owe you one, bro."

Smash didn't say anymore, but he didn't have to. Landry knew his intervention was appreciated at the Reunion last year—even if Smash was resistant to it at first. And it was nice to see Smash in a good place. Although, Landry had to admit he was a little jealous.

"Listen, I think we're overdue to start playing again. It was good talking to you, man."

"Yeah, same here."

"You got any requests you want me to pass along?"

"Requests?" Smash said. "You think I listen to country, Landry?"

Landry laughed and shook his head as he walked away, smiling. His tour was over in another month or so. Maybe he'd get up to New York during the summer. It would be good to get away for a while.

* * *

Tyra walked into the hotel room and took a cursory glance around. It was empty. Tim wasn't here. She had looked throughout the hotel for him, even checking the janitor's closet...just in case. But she hadn't been able to find him since their argument.

She turned to leave the room when she heard a noise behind her and turned back. Tim was standing in the doorway to the balcony, the curtain pulled aside to let the warm night air in.

"I was looking for you," she said.

"Me too," he replied.

"On the balcony?"

Tim smiled and ducked his head away. "Ah, no." He turned to look back outside, still showing that goofy grin when he turned back again. "Just...just thinking, really."

She nodded and took a step closer to him. Anger, hurt and embarrassment flooded through her. She wanted to apologize for going off on him earlier, but she still felt angry that he didn't get why she was upset at all. And this whole weekend with the over-the-top romantic gestures from everyone around them—Tiffany's...really?—was just bugging her. They needed to go back to Nashville and just live their life again—together. They'd hardly seen each other since his surgery and she was feeling withdrawn from him. Like there was a chasm growing between them. She wanted to bridge it before it got too wide.

"Look," she started. "About before..."

"Don't bother," he said, interrupting her.

"But, I..."

Tim stepped inside, moving slowly across the room towards her. "You don't have to apologize to me, Tyra."

She blinked her eyes and turned her head away from him. Yes I do, she thought.

"Really," he said, like he could read her mind. "Just tell me when something's bothering you. Or if you want to talk. I'm kinda out of practice."

She let out a small laugh. "Like you were so in tune with my feelings back then?"

He grinned and lowered his head. "A lot can change in ten years."

She had almost forgotten. "God, it'll be ten years next week since we graduated."

"Ten years since the accident," Tim echoed.

Tyra closed her eyes. Stupid. Of course it was ten years since the accident. Why did she even have to remind him?

"Tim, I didn't mean..."

"It's nothing. It's done. It happened. I can't change it."

They were quiet for a moment, then Tim took a seat on the bed and looked up at her. Slowly she moved towards him and sat by his side.

Finally he spoke. "Buddy bought me a drink tonight."

She looked at him sharply. Tim never drank. She thought he never would.

"I poured it out," he continued. "I think the flowers liked it."

She smiled. "I didn't think you'd take a drink."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted." Tim's hand moved towards her, brushing her leg. "Ten years is a long time to wait for something."

Tyra turned to him, confused. "You've been waiting to drink?"

Tim met her eyes surely. "I was waiting for you." His knuckle rubbed the thin fabric of her dress, pressing against her leg. "I would've married you back then, you know. If you'd told me."

Tyra couldn't hold back her emotions. A sob broke in her throat, hitching as she tried to stifle it. "Tim, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. I'm not angry." His hand rubbed gently against her leg.

She looked away from him. "But you said..."

"I said I would've married you back then. And I still would...today."

Tyra's head was bowed away from him; hiding her face from his penetrating stare. At the sound of his words, she peered up slowly. Did he say 'still'?

"Tyra, I..." He looked flustered, like he wasn't sure if he should stay and fight or run away. "I don't know what I'm doing here. What we're doing here."

Tears dripped down her face, peppering her satin gown. She didn't want to lose him. After all this time, and the odds they'd overcome to get back together, she knew she wanted to fight for him. For them.

"Tim, maybe we can try again. I don't really want to get married. Not that bad."

"You don't?"

She shook her head. Her hands reached out to grip his. "No, I just said that because everyone else is settling down and starting their lives together. But we only just started our journey. I don't want to rush it."

"Oh," he said. He released her hands and moved away slightly.

She thought he was standing up, but instead he half-slid to the floor, his still-healing leg awkwardly jutting out to the side. Tyra reached forward to grab for his shoulders.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice panicked. She moved onto the floor as he did, trying to help him from falling over.

He looked up quickly, flipping his hair back out of his eyes. He was smiling, almost laughing at her.

"You kinda have to get up for this to work," Tim said.

Tyra knelt before him on the floor, staring at him in confusion. He was kneeling on one leg on the floor, his other leg out to the side and his cane out of reach.

"But I..."

Tim smiled and reached up to remove her hands from his shoulders. Holding her left hand in his right, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"I thought I'd wait until I could properly get down on one knee. But this'll have to do."

Tyra gasped as Tim opened the black velvet box and turned it around for her to see.

"Tyra Collette, will you marry me?"

* * *

"Just stand there for a minute," Jason asked as Lyla paused by the bed.

"Stand here and do what?" she replied, smiling at him.

"I just want to look at my wife," he answered, his eyes sliding up and down her long body, wrapped in the silky dress. "You're the most beautiful woman I know, and you look amazing tonight."

Lyla raised her hands up in front of her face, her cheeks reddening. "Stop it, Jason," she said.

He pushed his chair closer until he was sitting before her, than raised the chair to stand in front of her. He slid his arms around her, his hands sliding down over her backside, appreciating every inch of her body. "Don't ever be embarrassed by how beautiful you are or how amazing I find you," he instructed her. "You are one of a kind, Lyla."

She dropped her hands from her face and began her own exploration of his back. He felt her hands across his shoulders, then could only watch the look on her face as her arms moved lower where he could not feel.

"I miss doing this," she said as she stepped closer, her arms still surrounding him. She pressed her lips against his and he tipped his tongue inside her mouth. Her hands moved from his back to his face as she pulled him close, kissing him more deeply than she had during the wedding or the reception. Finally she stepped back and he smiled at her.

"Fabulous dress, Garrity—let's get it off now!"

She laughed as he lowered himself back to a seated position. She pulled his transfer board from its spot next to the bed and waited while he loosened the restraints that allowed him to stand in the chair. He easily made the transfer, sliding onto the bed. He watched while she reached down and slid off his shoes and socks.

"I'll be right back," she announced before disappearing into the bathroom.

He slid his jacket off while he waited for her to return. He listened as the water in the sink ran, then shut off. Finally the door opened and she walked out, her gown replaced with a set of silky white pajamas, a short top showing the soft skin on her shoulders and the short pants showing her long, well-shaped legs.

Jason let out a low whistle. "Wow, Garrity...you don't disappoint."

Lyla climbed on the bed next to him and kissed him. "You realize my name isn't going to be Garrity anymore, don't you?"

"You'll always be Garrity to me," Jason replied.

She snuggled down next to him, his arm around her. "We're married. Can you believe it, Jason?"

Jason shook his head. "Honestly, no. I just...I just never thought it would happen. I don't want you to think that I didn't believe in you, but I didn't believe in me. When you stayed in New York, I knew it was the right thing for you and I was happy for you, but I knew that was it for me. I was never going to find love with someone else."

Jason looked down at Lyla, her hair falling in curls around her face. "You were it for me, Lyla. You always were. And you never gave up on me—even after the accident when I was so lost and never thought anything would be okay again. You were just there—you were present no matter what I did or said."

Lyla shook her head. "Not always," she replied.

"Can you ever forgive yourself for that?" he asked. So much had happened, he had to admit that he barely remembered what had happened between her and Tim. It certainly wasn't the first thing he thought about when he saw them together.

"I doubt it," she answered. "But why do we have to talk about that tonight?"

"Because today we pledged ourselves to one another for all of our lives. And I want all of you, Lyla—every single bit with the good and the bad because I'm giving you all of me no matter what."

He wanted to draw out the pain of their lives before this moment and just keep the happy memories, but getting rid of all the painful memories would also mean ridding their lives of the joy. And that's what had saved them and brought them to this point together—the balance of that joy and the pain. It defined them completely.

Lyla nodded and tucked her head onto his chest. He ran his hand down the silky softness of the material covering her back.

Traditionally, the wedding night was the night when a couple came together in an intimate way for the first time, but Jason had known Lyla that way since the night of their junior prom. Instead of awkward sexual maneuvers, he relaxed against the pillows while she took his clothes off. She slowly kissed each part of his skin as it was revealed. Once she was finished, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against his body. He would protect her from anything in the world that threatened to harm her—just as he knew she would do the same for him for all time. That was what they had pledged in front of the minister and their family and friends and more than anything in the world, he knew that it was the one thing he would always be able to count on.

* * *

"You okay?" Matt asked.

Julie looked up at her husband, wiping her hand across her mouth as she walked out of the bathroom near the entrance to the hotel restaurant. "Yeah—I just need to get a drink. I know morning sickness means things are going well with the baby, but I can never get used to this feeling of just wanting to..."

"Die?" Tyra said as she walked up, holding hands with Tim as Jake ran ahead into the restaurant.

Julie smiled at Tyra, casting a quick glance at Matt. Had she overheard?

Tyra continued, "I remember thinking that Jake was going to finish me off before he ever even came into the world."

Damn. "No, it just must be something I ate," Julie said quickly, trying to cover.

"There are no secrets left, Julie Taylor Saracen," Tyra said, her voice light and teasing. "I'm just glad that Matt made an honest woman of you. There are enough little bastards running around here for one town."

"You didn't just call my son a bastard, did you?" Tim drawled.

"Not for long," Tyra responded as she playfully slapped Tim on his butt. "Actually, we should be careful—you know that little pitchers have big ears."

"Big night?" Matt asked, casting a knowing glance toward Tim and Tyra.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Saracen," Tim replied as he led Tyra past Matt and Julie into the restaurant.

Julie tried to sneak a glance at Tyra's left hand but she had it tucked in her pocket. Had he proposed already?

"Julie! Matt!" Tami called out as they walked into the restaurant. "We're all back here in the party room."

"Hey, Jake, come back here a minute," Tim called out to his son. Jake slid off Jason's lap and ran back to them.

"I didn't tell him," Jake said. "I kept the secret."

Julie fought to keep her face straight. "Secret?" she asked. She knew it; she knew Tim wouldn't be able to wait once he bought the ring.

Tyra smiled at her and Julie let out a small laugh.

"But, I get to tell him now, when you're here, don't I?" Jake begged as he tugged on Tim's hand.

"Absolutely, buddy," Tim replied. He shot Julie a look. "Not one word."

Julie grinned and walked into the party room where there was a small brunch for the wedding party and their families. Secretly, she had been hoping to sleep in the morning after the wedding, but she was excited to share the news of her marriage with everyone. And it was another chance to spend time with her parents before they went back to Denton.

She pulled out a chair and sat down next to her dad.

"So, what's the big secret?" Eric asked her.

Julie leaned her head down next to his. "I think Tim finally pulled that ring out he bought last week."

"About time," her dad replied.

She slid her hand into Matt's as he sat next to her. Everything was as it should be. Jason and Lyla were smiling and laughing. Jake was practically dancing in front of them.

"So, what is this secret you have to tell us, Jake?" Lyla asked, a smile crossing her face.

Jake looked up at his mom and dad. Tyra nodded. "Go ahead, Jake."

Jason raised an eyebrow at Tim. "Tell us, Jake," he added.

"Okay, but next time I want real rings on my pillow," Jake said to Tim.

Everyone laughed as Jake spilled the news without actually saying the words.

The little boy looked around the room, like he was waiting for everyone to stop laughing and listen to his announcement. Then he said happily, "My mom and dad are getting married! We're going to be a family for really real!"

A round of applause washed over the crowd as Tyra leaned against Tim's chest and gave him a deep kiss.

"You think she's told Landry," Matt asked, his voice quiet so only Julie could hear him.

"Don't know," she replied. "But he had to know it might happen."

"Yeah," Matt replied, his voice even quieter.

As happy as she was for Tim, Jake and Tyra, like Matt, she knew it came with a cost to Landry. Julie knew how important Landry had been to Tyra over the years, and there was no way Tyra was going to forget that. The Colette/Riggins/Clarke arrangement wasn't that of a traditional family, but then again, when had anything happened to any of them the way they'd expected?

"So, that makes this group three for three, then," Jason said as he raised his mimosa. "To Tim and Tyra, me and Lyla and those dark horse candidates, Matt and Julie."

"Oh! The wedding's back on?" Mrs. Street exclaimed. "I'm so happy!"

Julie blushed and looked at Matt. She stood up and raised her glass. "Actually, we got married a few weeks ago and..." her hand dropped down to her belly.

Matt stood up next to her, reaching over and gripping her hand in his. "Can I tell them?" he said softly. But not softly enough that no one heard.

"Tell us what?" Joanne asked.

Julie smiled and nodded at her husband.

"Actually, there's going to be three Saracens soon, too." He squeezed Julie's hand tightly. "We're expecting just before Christmas."

Buddy stood up and slapped Eric on the back as Mrs. Street came over and hugged Tami. Jason's dad congratulated them as well. Lyla and Jason headed towards them, smiles across their faces.

"I'm so happy for you," Lyla said as she hugged Julie.

"It'll happen for you, too," she replied to her friend.

"I hope so," Lyla answered, her voice catching slightly.

"It will," Julie stated.

"Way to go, Saracen," Jason said as he shook Matt's hand.

Julie smiled and looked around the room at the close friends gathered there. Through the open doorway she saw Landry standing outside, talking to Smash and Kevin. She wanted to run out and bring them in, complete the circle of friends that had grown close again since the Reunion last year.

She excused herself and stepped towards the doorway, turning once to glance back at Matt. The look he shot her was one of such pure love she almost stumbled as she walked. He loved her so much, and she was so happy to be his wife. Theirs wasn't a cloudless sky—her father's illness weighed on her heart heavily, and she was still concerned that she would have troubles with her pregnancy. But she had to have faith that things would turn out okay.

Otherwise, life wasn't worth living. And Julie Taylor Saracen planned to enjoy life to its fullest.

_/tbc/_


	10. Epilogue

**The Wedding  
Epilogue**

Tyra lifted her hand to her hair, pinned up in a way she'd never worn it before, and smiled. She'd known Tim all her life, but now, today, she was going to promise the rest of her life to him.

She'd never felt this sure of about anything before.

"You know you're totally gorgeous. Enough with the primping already."

Tyra turned, a grin on her face, as she watched Landry enter the room. He looked handsome in a simple black suit, his white dress shirt open at the top button.

"Landry—I am so nervous. Why am I so nervous??" Tyra stammered.

Landry walked across the room towards her, reaching up with both hands to grip her shoulders securely. "You're excited—there's a difference. And you have no reason to be nervous." He grinned. "Besides, if Riggins ever dumps you, you know I'll grow gray with you."

Tyra playfully swiped at his shoulder and took one last glance in the mirror. This was it. She was getting married.

* * *

Tim shrugged into his jacket and adjusted the collar. He raised his hands to his open collar—no tie. He was thankful Tyra had let him have one say in their wedding details—penguin suits weren't his style.

Behind him, he heard Jason cautioning Jake about not taking the rings out of his pocket before the judge asked for them.

"You just pretend like they aren't there, and then when the judge turns to you, you hand them over. Got it?"

"Got it, Uncle Jason," Jake replied.

Jason turned away and Tim smiled as Jake slipped his hand into his pocket anyway.

"Well, Timmy," Jason said, wheeling towards him. "Guess I better go take my place in the front row."

Jason held his hand out to shake Tim's. Tim gripped his hand and then leaned down to clap Jason hard on the shoulder. There were no words to express how glad Tim was that Jason was here to share this day with him.

"Street, man...thanks. Thanks for everything."

"Don't even mention it."

Tim stood up and nodded at Jason. He was a good friend, the best anyone could ask for.

"Okay," Tim said, checking his suit one more time. He looked over at Jake, dressed in an identical suit, and grinned. "Let's get married!"

There was a fluttering in his stomach, a surprise considering how much he had been looking forward to this day. A few years ago, his life seemed stuck in the same routine. Then Tyra had delivered the most shocking news of all and suddenly his life had changed forever. Nothing had turned out the way he'd expected, but nothing felt more right than what was happening right now.

* * *

Tyra paused at the glass doors leading to her backyard where Tim and all of their guests waited. The music began and suddenly she felt her mouth grow dry. They had planned every detail of this day, and so far it was all going smoothly. So why did she feel so nervous?

"Are you ready?" Landry asked her as held out his arm for her. "I think I am...but you know it's a lot to ask of a person—don't you have any friends who could stand up for you? I mean, giving away the bride and then jumping up there and being the maid of honor and..."

Tyra stopped Landry's diatribe with a quick kiss on the lips. "I have friends—I just need you to be a part of this today. Without you I wouldn't be here."

She smiled at him. It was unconventional, but Landry was her rock. He was the only person she could imagine standing up for her today, and with Jake standing up for Tim, their family was fully represented.

"Okay, then let's go," Landry replied.

Landry took her arm and the next thing she knew, she was floating down the aisle, moving closer and closer to Tim and Jake—she would never love anyone as much as she loved those two.

She was glad it was a small group of people in their backyard. She wasn't like Lyla—she didn't need the whole world to see her get married. She just needed their dearest friends and family around them. Tami and Eric were there right next to Julie and Matt, the buggy sitting next to Matt. Her mom and Mindy were in the front row, with Billy sitting next to Mindy, a big smile on his face.

Jason and Lyla were on the other side, their hands wrapped together. Everyone she needed in her life was right here, right now.

* * *

Tim turned and winked at Jake, then leaned down to his son. "Isn't your mom beautiful?"

Jake nodded. Tim looked out at Jason, holding his hand up in affirmation. Even though he didn't say it, he knew what Jason was thinking.

Texas Forever.

Tyra came closer and Tim felt the emotion wash over him. Landry stopped and slipped his arm from Tyra's. Tim moved to take her hand, then paused and turned toward Jake. He held out his hand for their son.

Jake walked up and took his mom's right hand and his dad's left. Tim reached out and took Tyra's other hand.

The judge began the ceremony, but Tim couldn't hear anything other than the beating of his heart. He couldn't see anything other than Tyra's face. He tightened his grip around her hand, not squeezing too tightly, but trying to express everything that he was feeling through that simple embrace.

For so long he'd felt like he would be alone in life. He had never had much of a family, even though Billy had tried his hardest. His parents had taken off without ever really looking back, Jason's accident had changed all of their plans for the future and the double loss of Billy and Tyra after the accident on graduation night made him think that maybe he was just meant to be alone. It was hard to pick up the pieces of your heart and learn to love someone again—to learn to let someone in.

But he had. And it was the most rewarding experience of all. For the first time in a long time, Tim felt like he was whole. Like Tyra and Jake accepted him, faults and all, and he had a purpose in his life.

* * *

Tyra looked down and smiled at Jake. It was more than she had ever dreamed for them—she had hoped that someday he would know his dad, but having Tim welcome her back into his life was more that she had hoped for.

"And now Tim and Tyra have written vows to share with one another," the judge said.

Tyra smiled at Tim and nodded. This was love.

"On this special day, I give to you in the presence of God, my promise to stand by your side, in sickness and health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad," Tim began, his voice catching slightly.

He paused, then began again. "I promise to love you without reservation, to honor and respect you, to comfort and support you each and every day, to laugh with you and cry with you, to grow with you in mind and spirit, to always be open and honest with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

Tyra repeated the vows back to Tim—their promise to one another complete and honest.

"Rings?" the judge asked.

Tyra released Jake's hand and waited for him to give the rings to the judge. When his small hand came out of his pocket empty, she felt her heart seize, but then he grinned like the little jokester he was turning out to be and reached into his other pocket. He handed the rings to the judge like they had practiced without incident.

Tim held Tyra's hand gently in his and slipped her wedding band onto her finger with the simple phrase, "I give you this ring to wear with love and joy."

She repeated the vow to him, fighting to push his ring over his knuckle, then grinning up at him when it finally slipped into place.

The judge's voice washed over the crowd gathered. "By the power vested in me by the state of Tennessee, I pronounce you husband and wife." He smiled at both of them. "This is where you kiss the bride."

Tyra winked at Tim, then leaned down to give Jake the first kiss. Tim ruffled Jake's hair, then pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek. Then, with Jake watching, Tim pulled Tyra into a tight embrace and began to kiss her.

"C'mon, Riggins—we want to get to the reception before the beer is warm," Jason teased as Tim and Tyra kept kissing. Everyone laughed, then broke into applause.

"Not so concerned about that, Street," Tim replied when he finally finished kissing Tyra.

"There is beer, isn't there?" Jason asked, his face covered with mock concern.

"Absolutely," Tyra answered, her face beaming.

"Root beer!" Jake shouted. "And ice cream and cake and..."

"Come on, little man," Tim said as he held his hand out to Jake. Tyra held took her son's other hand and then turned to face their friends and family for the first time as a family, created through accident, but now, confirmed in their commitment to one another for the rest of their lives.

A love for all time.

_/fin/_

**Disclaimer**: All characters who appear in these stories belong to their respective creators, including Imagine Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Studio and Film 44.  
**Authors' Note**: Thanks to our super betas, **devilc** and N, who pick up on all of our little oversights and make it look so pretty.

Thank you for reading! We love to see your reviews and hear your feedback about the story. - Rachel and Shelbecat


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